


matrimonium

by ignisgayentia



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Accidental Miscommunication, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Cindy/Aranea (background), Explicit Sexual Content, Fake Marriage, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Falling In Love, Foster Father Cor, Foster Sister Aranea, Gladio/Noctis (background), Happy Ending, M/M, Meeting the Parents, Mutual Pining, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Sharing a Bed, Slow Burn, The Proposal AU, bed sharing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-06
Updated: 2019-11-06
Packaged: 2021-01-23 11:55:46
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 113,894
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21319786
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ignisgayentia/pseuds/ignisgayentia
Summary: Prompto feels the color drain from his face. “Oh, Gods. What did I just… agree to…?”As if he doesn’t already know the answer to that.“Congratulations, Prompto, you’re going to be a newly wedded husband,” Ignis supplies. “Marriage to an Insomnian would retain my citizenship permanently.”-----To avoid deportation to Tenebrae and remain working in Insomnia, Glaive magazine editor Ignis Scientia says he's engaged to marry Prompto Scientia, his co-editor who has dreams of becoming a photographer for the magazine someday. Hoping to further that dream, Prompto reluctantly agrees, but insists that Ignis go along with their fake relationship to convince Prompto's father and sister, Cor and Aranea. Ignis and Prompto end up keeping up the charade for longer than intended due to a car breakdown, and the two find that the lines between pretend feelings and genuine ones blur quite easily.-----Written for the 2019 Promnis Big Bang!
Relationships: Prompto Argentum/Ignis Scientia
Comments: 116
Kudos: 164
Collections: 2019 Promnis Big Bang





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for the 2019 Promnis Big Bang!
> 
> i've been waiting literally nearly six months to post this, and it's finally here! it's very, very loosely based off of the film, "The Proposal", with a few changes big and small. the plot strays a bit, but the essential synopsis remains the same, as i thought it'd make a tender fake dating fic. i hope you have as much fun reading it as i did writing it!

The only thing that Prompto can focus on upon waking up this morning is the fact that he’s  _ late _ . He can’t afford to be late, not today, not  _ any  _ day really, not with the job he has. Prompto really regrets the fact that he even exists, let alone existing with ambitions this high. He doesn’t even have time to shower, let alone go for his morning jog.  _ Shit.  _ He contemplates the idea of jumping into traffic on the way to work as he practically falls into his work clothes, grabbing his phone and keys in one fell swoop. He does  _ not  _ get paid enough for this.

The  _ only  _ thing saves Prompto’s day from being a  _ total _ wreck right out of the starting gate is the fact that there’s absolutely no line at the coffee shop when he rushes inside, thanking all six of the Astrals under his breath.

“Hey, Prompto, right?” the barista greets, all smiles as usual. “Your usual?”

Prompto considers the question for only half of a second; a stressful morning warrants a treat-yourself sort of drink. “White mocha frappuccino, yep!” he says, tone teetering between rushed and friendly, not wanting to be too rude. 

“Two pumps of caramel, right? Got it ready for you. Was wondering if you were gonna show up, you’re--”

“Late, I know, man, I know. You’re a  _ lifesaver,  _ seriously. I owe you my whole life.” It’s a little sad how often he ends up here in the mornings, needing coffee just to stay alive.

Prompto’s phone buzzes in his pocket, and he winces the entire time he reads the text message from his coworker. 

**_Ignis Scientia (8:02 AM):_** _Where are you?_

The only thing that Prompto can be grateful for is the fact that Ignis doesn’t have the power to fire him. Ignis Scientia is many things, but Prompto’s boss isn’t one of them. Prompto lets out another silent blessing of the Astrals under his breath.

“Throw in that can of Ebony for me, please?” Prompto nearly whines. Hopefully Ignis’s favorite coffee will be enough to ease his coworker’s disappointment.

“You got it. Boss troubles again?” the barista guesses.

Prompto frowns. This isn’t the first time he’s offered Ignis an Ebony as a peace offering, and it likely won’t be the last time. “He’s not my boss,” he snorts, “but, totally, dude.”

“Good luck!” the barista calls out after Prompto as he practically sprints out the door. At least he can get his cardio running from the coffee shop to the office; small miracles.

Prompto writes a hasty reply on his phone, not looking where he’s going while he jogs, barely mumbling out a sorry to everyone he bumps into.

**Prompto (8:04 AM): ** _ alarm troubles. sorry dude! almost there. brought you coffee tho _

Prompto hopes it’s enough. It isn’t until he’s halfway up the elevator to his office that he realizes the barista wrote his phone number on his cup. He snorts -- like he has time for a love life with a job  _ this  _ demanding.

It’s not like Prompto  _ wanted  _ to end up like this. All he wants is to take pictures -- of anything, really. Photography is his lifelong passion, and he mistakenly thought that his best friend Noctis, whose father is the editor-in-chief of  _ Glaive  _ magazine, offering him a job at the prestigious lifestyle magazine would score him some sick photography gigs.

Instead, all it has really gotten Prompto, after three  _ years  _ at the company, is headaches, countless money spent on coffee, and the biggest pain in the ass of a coworker ever -- Ignis.

“You look like crap,” Noct greets him, feet propped up on Prompto’s desk.

“Thanks,” Prompto replies sarcastically. “Don’t you have your own office for this? I’m kinda in a hurry.”

“Specs already asked for you, like, three times. You’re screwed,” Noct laughs. He raises a dark eyebrow at the can of Ebony pressed into one of Prompto’s palms. “Peace offering?”

“I hope.” It comes out as more of a groan than actual words, especially when Prompto’s grimacing at the nickname Noct gives his father’s _best _employee. As if Ignis about to ream him for being late deserves a cute nickname like _Specs, _dubbed so because of the dorky glasses on his face (that somehow make Ignis look handsome regardless). Prompto hates that the nickname _is_ cute, too, and it totally makes Ignis seem like a normal person -- not the inhuman, constantly working, coffee-fueled robot that he really is.

“Is that white mocha?” Noct asks, suddenly preoccupied with Prompto’s own coffee than his impending doom. “Can I have some?”

Prompto rolls his eyes, setting the cup on his desk in front of Noctis. “Leave some for me, alright? I just woke up and I gotta go sacrifice myself to Ignis.”

“Don’t forget my dad, too. I think he’s in his office, too,” Noct adds uselessly, eagerly gripping Prompto’s coffee and sipping some out of the straw.

“Worst friend ever,” Prompto whines with a scathing look in Noct’s direction. “I gotta go before Ignis stabs me through the wall somehow.”

Noct snorts. “You’re gonna be fine, trust me. It’s not like you’re ever late. Plus, if anything happens, I’ll just make them rehire you.”

Well, Noctis has a point there, at least. Prompto squeezes the can of Ebony anxiously in his hand as he heads toward the door. He turns to give Noct one last look. “You’re so lucky you don’t gotta deal with him.”

Noct grins. “It’s just Specs. I grew up with the guy. He’s really not that bad.”

“Easy for you to say.”

Noct’s laughter rings in his ears long after he leaves his own office and starts to head next door. It’s true; maybe Prompto is being a  _ bit  _ dramatic considering he just woke up probably no more than fifteen minutes ago and didn’t have time to shower, but still. Ignis is intimidating when he wants to be, and tolerates very little in terms of slacking off. Ignis threatens Prompto with nothing more than scathing looks and sometimes a less-than-friendly reminder here and there, but for some reason, it’s always  _ completely  _ effective at keeping Prompto in line. For some reason, Prompto finds himself wanting to  _ impress _ Ignis Scientia, his co-editor and equal, more than he wants to impress his own bosses; more than he wants to impress Regis Lucis Caelum, editor-in-chief of the entire magazine. Prompto has no idea why  _ that _ is, but he doesn’t like thinking too much about it to find out.

As soon as he walks into Ignis’s office, however, Prompto is vehemently reminded of why he would want to impress someone like him.

As soon as Ignis is in view, all of Prompto’s attention falls onto him, despite all of his superiors such as Regis Caelum, Clarus Amicitia and his son Gladio, Lunafreya Nox Fleuret and her brother Ravus all being in the room, standing before Ignis.

Prompto sees Ignis every single damn day, and nothing ever prepares him for how beautiful the man is.

You know, in a totally platonic way -- Ignis is, of course, entirely untouchable.

Ignis, being the managing editor for the magazine, meant he had to be everywhere and doing everything at once, but Ignis never looked so much as  _ tired.  _ Ignis never seemed to have a single strand of perfectly-styled ash blonde hair out of place, teased higher than Prompto’s hopes and dreams. His striking green eyes were one of the first things Prompto noticed about Ignis when he first met him, even though they’re always hidden -- criminally, Prompto might add -- behind glasses that should look absolutely nerdy on  _ everyone,  _ but they only add to Ignis’s charm. They make him look even more like a model, as if the expensive designer clothing, elegant accent, and striking cheekbones weren’t enough to add to Prompto’s misery.

Just thinking about it confirms it; Ignis is completely untouchable and way too intimidating for his own good.

Today, maddeningly enough, Ignis is wearing suspenders --  _ again --  _ and that’s when Prompto totally realizes that there’s an entire conversation happening outside of the ogling that’s going on inside his head, and those pretty emerald eyes of Ignis’s are, in fact, fixated on Prompto and not anyone else.

Oh, Gods, had someone said something to him? Had  _ Ignis?  _ Maybe this definitely isn’t a good time to barge into an apparently important meeting between all of his bosses and  _ Ignis  _ without knocking first, the only piece offering being a can of crappy coffee.

“Darling?” Ignis asks, cupid’s bow lips pursed in frustration.

Wait, why did Ignis just call him  _ darling?  _ Prompto suddenly wonders if his ears are working correctly, or maybe this is all just a weird fantasy dream, and Prompto actually  _ didn’t  _ wake up this morning. He’s  _ totally  _ still asleep in bed, and his alarm  _ hadn’t  _ actually screwed him over this morning.  _ Thank the Astrals. _ He needs to remind himself to take a vacation soon; all this work stress is really getting to Prompto’s head, apparently.

“Uh… huh?” is apparently the best response Prompto can muster.  _ Perfect.  _

Ignis blinks at Prompto, looking similarly to a person who is trying to smile while constipated, and tries again. “I was simply updating everyone regarding our relationship, and how we’ve decided not to keep it a secret any longer.”

It takes everything in Prompto not to laugh out loud. Prompto and Ignis, other than working all hours of the day and night, have barely said anything non-work-related to each other (other than hanging out with mutual friends) in the three years Prompto has known him.

So, obviously, Ignis is lying. The only thing Prompto can’t figure out is as to  _ why  _ Ignis would lie about this -- especially for someone like  _ Prompto.  _ Ignis is so far out of Prompto’s league they aren’t even in the same ballpark, and Ignis could pick anyone in this office and it would make more sense than Ignis picking  _ Prompto _ . Six, if Ignis picked  _ Noct _ it would be less of a surprise, and they grew  _ up  _ together.

Prompto looks from Ignis over to the rest of the heads of the magazine. Regis simply looks wary, while Gladio and Clarus look pretty amused, Ravus looks vaguely displeased (though, to be fair, he always looks like that), and Lunafreya simply looks a bit sympathetic. Well, that’s at least one boss Prompto can trust; Luna is the art director, anyway -- she’s harmless.

Prompto finally brings his gaze back to Ignis. Ignis, by now, has levelled a look at Prompto that seems like it could actually  _ stab  _ him if it grew any stronger. Prompto only then realizes he hasn’t responded yet. Prompto wrestles for a moment with the pros and cons to going along with whatever weird shit this is, and realizes that he should probably stick with Ignis. For now.

“Our relationship... right, uh,  _ babe,”  _ Prompto manages, and if he started cartoonishly sweating right now, he wouldn’t even be surprised. “I’m so sorry I was late, I was, uh… getting you coffee, sweetheart.” Prompto nearly winces. The extra pet name is absolutely  _ way  _ too much and definitely not convincing at all, especially with how nervous he sounds.

Ignis seems to visibly relax, despite the way his mouth twists with embarrassment at how off Prompto sounds. He takes a step toward Prompto, closing the distance between them and Prompto is nearly knocked breathless by his proximity. He can even smell the subtle notes of Ignis’s cologne, that Prompto in no way ever can get used to since it smells so damn good. 

Prompto barely has time to blush before Ignis leans down and presses the softest of kisses against Prompto’s cheekbone, his gloved fingers wrapping around Prompto’s wrist tightly and squeezing reassuringly -- a wordless promise of explanation, and Prompto holds tightly to it, trying to relax into Ignis’s touch.

Ignis’s lips are so soft, by the way. Prompto hates that he notices.

Ignis retreats as quickly as he’d advanced, standing next to Prompto with his fingers still wrapped loosely around Prompto’s wrist. Prompto doesn’t make any effort to separate them; in fact, Prompto doesn’t think his legs -- or arms -- work at all. He just leans into Ignis and hopes it looks genuine.

“Thought we were gonna  _ talk _ about this, sweetie,” Prompto murmurs, trying to lose the nervous tone to his voice as he attempts to wrestle an explanation out of Ignis.

“There was a change of plans, love,” Ignis tells him gently. “I’ll fill you in as soon as our guests leave, hmm?”

Well, that’s basically all Prompto can ask for. Whatever he needs Prompto for, he’s clearly not going to say it in front of all their bosses and coworkers.

Regis is the first one to speak. “Ignis, you’re like a son to me,” Regis says, his voice a strange mix of amusement and solemnity. “You  _ both  _ are, really, now. I do wish you nothing but the best. If this is the path you choose to take, and as long as you make it  _ legal,  _ I don’t see why you wouldn’t be able to remain in Insomnia and continue to work side by side as you both have.”

Prompto frowns, just slightly, hopefully nothing too noticeable. Why would anything that Ignis and Prompto be doing -- or faking, rather -- be illegal? Why wouldn’t Ignis be allowed to stay in Insomnia? Prompto is obviously missing a rather important piece.

“Don’t fret, if you change your mind, I’m quite ready to take on your responsibilities,” Ravus says in faux support.

Maybe Noctis was right every time he told Prompto that Ravus was after Ignis’s job. He seems way too cheerful at the thought of Ignis having to leave, for whatever reason. It’s not like Ignis would ever get fired for incompetence; Ignis is probably the hardest worker Prompto -- or anyone at this whole company, probably -- has ever seen. Despite their differences, not even Prompto can deny that.

“I appreciate your concern, Ravus, and I’ve no doubts as to your abilities, but I do believe there won’t be an issue from here on out,” Ignis says smoothly.

Ravus smiles, and looks over at Prompto knowingly, which makes Prompto extremely nervous. “Yes, hopefully you two won’t have any relationship trouble.”

Prompto looks over at Ignis just in time to see his returning smirk, and Prompto is really glad he’s not on the receiving end of it. Ignis could be scary as hell when he wanted to be.

“I had no idea you were so concerned with my personal affairs; I’m quite flattered, but I assure you, I’m truly alright.”

Sometimes Prompto really admires Ignis’s ability to keep his shit together when he’s practically been lowkey insulted. Prompto would have no class when it came to that, if it were him. He’s sort of grateful that it  _ isn’t  _ him. Prompto also loves the fact that Ignis could be entirely polite and scathing all at once. It’s not like Ignis is without redeeming qualities. And, compared to Ravus, Prompto definitely would prefer to work alongside Ignis. Ravus is even scarier sometimes.

Prompto finds himself squeezing Ignis’s hand reassuringly, a gentle tug of protectiveness flooding through him for some reason. If Ignis notices, he makes no gesture of it.

Before Ravus can respond, his sister, Lunafreya, speaks up. “I do think that’s quite enough of  _ that. _ ” Luna walks up to Prompto and Ignis, placing her hands on both of their shoulders, smiling beautifully at them, and Prompto instantly relaxes. “I am truly happy for you both, and happy that you can stay with us, Ignis. You’re irreplaceable. You, as well, Prompto. Do not mind my brother -- he admires you far too much.” She winks.

Ignis also relaxes further, judging by the way his expression loosens, allowing himself to smile at her. “Apologies, Miss Fleuret. I appreciate your blessing,” Ignis says softly, with none of the ice reserved for her brother earlier.

“Well, that sounds about settled to me. Dunno why I had to be here for that,” Gladio says with a deep laugh. “Good to see you, Prompto.”

Prompto smiles weakly in Gladio’s direction. Gladio, being the magazine’s assistant fitness and sports editor, makes him also completely non-threatening -- to Prompto’s  _ job _ , at least. The dude looks like he could bench about five Promptos and kill at least ten in one punch, but Gladio, Prompto has learned through mutual time spent with him and Noctis, is harmless 99% of the time.

“Hey, man,” Prompto responds to Gladio. Gladio slaps him on the back encouragingly on the way out, still laughing about the whole thing. Gladio has a weird sense of humor sometimes.

“We’ll leave you to it, then, Ignis?” Regis announces finally. He nods in Prompto’s direction. “Good morning, Prompto.”

“Hello, sir,” Prompto croaks out. He’s definitely going to pass out from social exhaustion in about five minutes -- he definitely wasn’t prepared to talk to  _ everyone  _ first thing in the morning.

“Very well, sir. My thanks,” Ignis says gently.

Prompto watches in almost slow motion as they file out of Ignis’s office. As soon as the door closes, Ignis removes his hand from Prompto’s wrist. The air feels cold where his fingers once were -- again, Prompto hates that he notices.

Ignis turns to Prompto, an eyebrow slightly raised. “Is that Ebony for me?” he asks simply, as if he hadn’t just pretended that he was in love with Prompto a few minutes ago. “Thank you kindly.”

Prompto wordlessly hands him the Ebony, mouth slightly agape, and watches Ignis slowly take a drink as he makes his way back to his desk, shuffling through a pile of papers, looking for something. Ignis doesn’t seem to be bothered at all.

“Uh, can you explain what the hell that was?” Prompto asks finally, voice not nearly as strong as he thought it’d be.

“My work visa has expired,” Ignis explains. “I’ve just found out this morning, actually. The Insomnian government wishes to deport me back to Tenebrae, and I cannot work here from Tenebrae.”

“So… renew it, or something? What does that have to do with…” Prompto trails off, gesturing vaguely between the two of them.

“That would take too long, I’m afraid. I would have to return to Tenebrae within forty-eight hours from now, and the application process would take  _ months.  _ I would lose my job.”

Prompto raises an eyebrow. “Wait. Pretending to date me isn’t gonna change that.”

Ignis chokes back a laugh, amusement plain on his face. “Indeed, it would not.  _ Marriage _ , however…”

Prompto feels the color drain from his face. “Oh, Gods. What did I just… agree to…?” 

As if he doesn’t already know the answer to that.

“Congratulations, Prompto, you’re going to be a newly wedded husband,” Ignis supplies. “Marriage to an Insomnian would retain my citizenship permanently.”

Prompto freezes. In his early-morning haze, Prompto simply thought he was agreeing to a fake relationship for maybe about five minutes, or something they could easily write off later. Marriage, however, was an entirely different story.  _ Especially  _ marriage  _ fraud.  _

“Wha… I don’t… wanna marry you,” Prompto blurts. _Shit. _Prompto can’t believe that this is the way his thoughts formed coherence in the form of words. “No offense?”

“Now, now, Prompto. You’ve utterly broken my heart,” Ignis remarks sarcastically. “Don’t fret, we will be hastily divorced in no more than six months’ time. I simply need to borrow your citizenship; you can think of it on those terms, if you’d prefer.” Ignis looks up from his desk, raising an eyebrow. “You  _ are  _ single, are you not?”

“Um… well, yeah, obviously, dude. I spend most of my time working.  _ Here.  _ With  _ you _ ?” Prompto has no idea why this comes out as a question, but it does.

“Precisely my point. It wouldn’t be out of the question for others to assume we’ve grown close to each other as a result of that.”

Heat floods his cheeks at the thought.  _ Did  _ people think that…? Well, they definitely would  _ now.  _ Prompto could laugh at the thought of anyone as plain as Prompto getting to hook up with someone like stoic and perfect  _ Ignis,  _ let alone marrying the guy.

“But we aren’t. Close, I mean. I think today was the first time you’ve ever, like, touched me,” Prompto points out. “Aren’t people gonna… see through that…? Wait, can’t we get in  _ trouble  _ for this?”

Ignis lets out a tired sigh, taking a long sip of his Ebony before responding. It makes Prompto wish he hadn’t left his coffee with Noctis -- he probably drank it all by now. 

“People won’t see through it, and we  _ won’t  _ get in trouble for it if you do your part and behave for the time being,” Ignis points out as if it were obvious. “Try to relax, won’t you?”

Despite Prompto practically chewing his bottom lip off anxiously, he realizes that this probably would go over smoothly if he simply relaxed and listened to Ignis. Despite Ignis being a total hard ass, Ignis definitely hasn’t ever done anything  _ stupid,  _ thankfully -- at least not that Prompto’s aware of.

Such logic doesn't really stop Prompto from pulling out his half-charged phone and Moogling the punishment for marriage fraud -- not a bold first move, seeing as the government probably could track this.  _ Nice one, Prompto _ . However, the information on his screen nearly causes him to drop his phone.

“Ignis, we could go to  _ prison!”  _ Prompto squeaks. “That, or this huge-ass fine we’d have to pay which honestly sounds  _ worse  _ than prison. It’s like, three years’ salary--”

“Prompto.” Ignis’s tone is firm, and it makes Prompto pay attention immediately -- Ignis is good like that, sometimes. “It will be fine.”

“We’re gonna get in trouble, man. There’s, like, a whole case approval process, and these marriage interview questions. We don’t, like, know each other like this,” Prompto groans.

Ignis smiles knowingly. “We can easily learn. Besides, you already know what kind of coffee I prefer.”

Prompto groans. “I’m serious, dude! And it’s not like you know what coffee  _ I  _ drink.”

“White mocha frappuccino, is it one or two pumps of caramel? On days you’re particularly stressed, you get a pump of chocolate as well. You’ve quite the sweet tooth,” Ignis responds.

Prompto stares at him. Ignis has never once accompanied him to the coffee shop, so now Prompto’s doing all sorts of math in his head--

“Wait, how did you know that?”

“You’ve turned Noct onto that drink, as well, and I’ve quite frequently ordered it for him,” Ignis explains. “He refers to it as, ‘ _ Prompto’s drink’.”  _

Prompto snorts. “I should’ve known. So, that doesn’t count.”

“Perhaps,” Ignis allows. “Regardless, we  _ can _ learn all these things. We  _ do  _ have to get married, after all.”

“I… why? Why me? Why should I care?” Prompto asks, and it comes out harsher than he planned, judging by the way Ignis’s head tilts quizzically at Prompto. “I, uh. I meant, like, it’s not like  _ I’m  _ gonna… lose my job.”

Ignis smiles a little despite the accidental harshness of Prompto’s words. “Well, not  _ yet _ . Ravus is certain to replace me, and you’ll have to deal with him, or likely quit. The choice is yours. I must point out that we seem to share the same fate in that case.”

Prompto grimaces. The thought of working so close to Ravus is even scarier than working so close to Ignis. At least he  _ knows  _ Ignis, on some level or another. Besides, marriage with Ignis won’t be like real  _ marriage; _ it isn’t like he’d have to make out with Ignis every day or anything like that. Though, if he’s honest, he actually wouldn’t  _ mind _ that part. Prompto clears those thoughts as soon as they come -- he’s not gonna open  _ that _ can of worms.

“Prompto?”

Prompto jumps. “Wha?!”

“You’re blushing?”

“No, I’m not,” Prompto says much too quickly. 

Ignis raises an eyebrow. “I’m  _ awfully  _ curious.”

The heat flooding Prompto’s cheeks betrays him by growing even warmer. “Back off, dude. I’m… so… yeah, no, we’re gonna fail all of these. And guess what? No one’s gonna buy it. I’m  _ huge  _ on family, dude. There’s no way they’d let me get married without ‘em.”

“That’s even better. Excellent idea, Prompto. We’ll meet your family, and it will be foolproof.”

“What? That’s not what I meant? I kinda was saving marriage for someone that, I dunno, I’m actually in  _ love  _ with,” Prompto explains. “What are you gonna say to  _ your _ family?”

Whatever Prompto’s said, it’s clearly the wrong choice of words. Prompto watches Ignis stiffen, a sort of distant look appearing in his eyes. “I’ve no family left,” Ignis explains politely, almost  _ softly _ . Prompto instantly feels horrible. “You’re absolutely right, of course. I hadn’t thought of that at all, regarding your family. It’s important to you. I shouldn’t have -- I made a rash decision. Forgive me.”

“Wait--”

Ignis reaches for his phone. “I’ll be a moment, Prompto. Perhaps you should start work without me…?”

“Wait, who are you calling?” Prompto asks, confused about the sudden subject change.

“Regis, of course. I’ll tell him the truth about the situation, and pack my things for Tenebrae. I apologize for the intrusion, truly, Prompto. I should have included you first. I was simply acting selfishly and upon impulse.”

The worst part of the way Ignis says this is that it’s entirely emotionless; he means these words. He’s not trying to be manipulative at all -- he seems really embarrassed. Prompto can’t really imagine  _ Glaive _ magazine without Ignis, and Prompto could stop that. People get divorced all the time -- and after it happens, he can just tell his family it was all to help a coworker anyway. No biggie. Prompto’s been a totally selfish  _ ass.  _

Ignis brings the phone to his ear, and for some reason, Prompto runs up to his desk without giving his legs permission, and grabs Ignis’s phone, hanging up immediately.

“Cut that out,” Prompto snaps. “I’ll… screw it, dude, I’ll do it. Let’s get married, I guess. On one condition.” Prompto wants to milk his power for as long as he has it.

Ignis seems completely surprised, judging by the way his eyebrows practically shoot up off of his forehead. It’d be a comical expression if Ignis wasn’t so pretty. 

“And what condition would that be, might I ask?”

Prompto tries his hardest not to burst out laughing. “Propose to me, Iggy. Like, forreal. On one knee, and crap like that. Super romantic like, dude. First time I get proposed to it’s gotta be  _ romantic.”  _

“You’re serious?” Ignis asks, almost in horror. “Right  _ now?” _

“Yep.”

Prompto swears the color in Ignis’s face starts to pale. “I haven’t a ring…?”

“You’re also stalling. We’ll get a ring later.  _ Matching  _ ones. Gotta keep up appearances,” Prompto says with a grin. “I’m so excited for this  _ already,  _ babe!” 

Ignis lets out a steady breath, like he’d been holding it for a while. “I’ve truly underestimated you, Argentum, I will give you that.”

“I’m gonna take that as a compliment.” Prompto throws him a sickly sweet smile. “Come on, don’t keep a fella waiting.”

“You mustn’t rush a man trying to propose,” Ignis plays along. 

Ignis turns his chair to where Prompto stands and hikes his designer pants up -- which is a move that has  _ no  _ business being as hot as it is -- so that Ignis can smoothly slide to one knee. Prompto  _ probably _ should have anticipated how pretty Ignis looks from this angle; the light from the window brightening the green hue of Ignis’s irises, his long light eyelashes brushing against his cheeks as he blinks up at Prompto. Even though his expression is clearly inauthentic, the fake affection that shines in his eyes and smile as he pretends to be completely smitten with Prompto actually  _ works,  _ and Prompto finds himself accidentally charmed. His plan backfired entirely, and Prompto is so mad at Ignis for being way too beautiful, once again.

Prompto’s lips part in surprise when he feels Ignis’s bare fingers touch Prompto’s. He must have removed his gloves while Prompto was staring at his face, and Prompto hadn’t even noticed until now. Ignis’s fingers are soft and warm, and they hold Prompto’s hand gently.

“Prompto, my darling, my love,” Ignis says softly. He’s laying it on way too thick, but Prompto still feels his heart hammer at the pet names he’s so unused to hearing come from Ignis’s lips. “I’ve waited so long to finally capture your attention, to finally earn your love. Won’t you grant me the honor of being your husband, so I may cherish you the way you truly deserve?”

Damn. Prompto would have to ask Noct later if Ignis had ever been married before -- or at least engaged. He’s way too rehearsed for this. Then again, Prompto could just chalk it up to how classy and generally skilled Ignis is -- objectively, of course.

Prompto totally isn’t blushing, he swears he isn’t; at least he  _ hopes. _

“Hmm, yes, I think I can agree to totally save your ass from impending doom  _ and  _ by being the world’s okayest hubby!” Prompto exclaims. “What a  _ perfect  _ proposal, Hot Stuff.”

Ignis sighs, but still manages to laugh -- it sounds musical to Prompto's ears. “I’m relieved it was satisfactory, however, perhaps we should teach you acceptable endearments to refer to your husband...?”

“Hey, dude, you signed up for this, so you definitely signed up for the Prompto Specialty, and that includes me calling my husband Hot Stuff. And that’s you.”

“Is that so?” Ignis wears the tiniest of smirks, and it floods Prompto’s stomach with butterflies. “I suppose I will have to endure, then.”

“Yeah, you will, dude. And… we’re gonna have to get married, soon, right?” Prompto fidgets with the bracelet on his arm a little, suddenly even more nervous.

“Yes, that would be preferable. As soon as possible, in fact. I’ll need to file the marriage-based green card application immediately,” Ignis explains. “So, if you’d like to introduce me to your family…” Ignis goes quiet, sliding up off the floor and into his chair, skimming through his calendar on his tablet. “What are you doing this weekend, Prompto?”

Prompto swallows nervously. That’s so much sooner than Prompto expected to prepare his family to meet Ignis. “Well, I thought I was gonna be working…”

“We’ll take a bit of a detour, if that’s alright. What part of Insomnia do your parents live?”

Prompto laughs. “They don’t live in Insomnia. My foster father and my foster sister live in Lestallum, in Cleigne.”

This seems to put a dent in Ignis’s plans. Prompto watches him count several days out on the calendar, making some notes on his calendar app. “I suppose we’ll have to make a trip of it, then. We can drive there. It’s only a few hours away, if we make good time.”

“A  _ few _ ? More like five, dude. Easier to just fly, isn’t it? Don’t you have all those fancy frequent flyer miles or whatever they’re called?”

“Those are for business-related ventures,” Ignis says wistfully. “Perhaps we’ll stay in a hotel, so we needn’t drive so much in one day.”

“We can just… stay the whole weekend at my dad’s? He’s a hunter, so he can keep pretty busy,” Prompto explains. “It’ll make it more, uh, realistic that way, I guess.”

Ignis straightens. “That won’t be a problem?”

Prompto shrugs. “Nah. Why would it? It’s been a while since I’ve been home, so...” Prompto rubs the back of his neck awkwardly, laughing nervously. “Let’s do it.”

“Very well,” Ignis hums. He locks his phone for a moment. “Regarding those interview questions, I do suppose we’ll have to learn a bit about each other, and be certain that our answers coordinate and are precise.”

“Sure, yeah. ‘What are your hopes and dreams’, ‘what pizza topping would you kill me over for ordering’, that kinda nonsense, right?” Prompto laughs nervously.

“Anchovies,” Ignis replies teasingly. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah, this is… this is kinda settling in now, you know? Kinda scary.” Prompto sucks in a breath through his teeth, staring at the building next to theirs outside Ignis’s huge office window, getting lost in thought about how this would all go.

Prompto feels Ignis’s fingers -- gloved, this time (when did he put them back on?) -- wrap around his wrist again. It’s almost like Ignis is afraid to link their fingers; maybe it’s too intimate for him? That’s something they’ll have to get over, Prompto realizes bitterly. Still, coming from Ignis, it’s a grand gesture of comfort, and Prompto looks down at the touch with a bit of surprise now that no one is around to see it.

“I do realize this is all… quite a lot, and I do appreciate you doing this for me. You do a lot of things for me, and I don’t quite think I’ve properly thanked you for them. Still, this is by far the most compassionate, and I will do everything in my power to ensure it proceeds as smoothly as possible,” Ignis says softly. “You’ve truly saved my career, Prompto, I hope you know that. That being said, if you truly don’t wish to do this, you needn’t feel guilty. I promise I understand.”

Prompto isn’t used to so many words coming from the other man, and he doesn’t know what to say at first. He’s pretty sure the warmth flooding his cheeks says it all. Prompto’s gonna do what he does best, of course, and that’s deflection. He really needs to remember to schedule appointments with his therapist again (oops). At least there’s one thing he knows, it’s that he doesn’t want to screw Ignis over at all.

“No, no, no! That’s uh, it’s no biggie, Iggy! Ha. That rhymes,” Prompto says awkwardly, surprised that his awful joke earns a soft chuckle from Ignis. “Is that why you wanted  _ me _ ? ‘Cause I do a lotta stuff for you?”

Ignis doesn’t respond immediately. He seems to consider it, picking a spot on Prompto’s shirt to fixate on with his eyes as he dwells. “No, not at all. It certainly was something I had to consider, but it wasn’t as if I had the time to narrow down names. You simply made the most sense to me. You’re the absolute first I thought of.”

Ignis doesn’t clarify it any further, the cryptic little shit. He’s possibly the most difficult man in all of Eos to read, and that’s including  _ Cor _ , his own foster father, for Astrals’ sake. 

“Well, I guess that’s definitely better than how I thought this morning was gonna go,” Prompto admits. “Like, in hindsight, I thought you were gonna kick my ass for being late.”

Ignis quirks up an eyebrow. “Would it help the routine of things if I did just that regardless?”

“Nah. We’re married. You’re not allowed to ream me for that anymore,” Prompto decides. “Prompto Marriage Handbook says.”

Ignis lets out an undignified snort, probably the most human sound Prompto’s ever heard from Ignis. “Duly noted.” His smile lingers for long enough for Prompto to fixate on before he takes a deep breath to speak again. “I do want to inform you that not only do you have my gratitude, I’m going to put in a good word for you in the photography department, and forward your portfolio to them. I say it’s high time you do what you wish to do, Prompto, and not have any of us weighing you down.”

Prompto’s eyes widen. This is why he bothered getting a job in the first place; so he could take photographs for a living. To do it for  _ Glaive  _ would be another thing entirely. “You’re joking, right? Seriously, dude?! Are you serious?!”

“Deadly so,” Ignis responds quickly. “I take it that means you’re still interested since the last time we discussed it?”

“Am I  _ interested _ ? You bet your ass I am! Holy shit! Why didn’t you tell me all I had to do was marry you? Woulda popped the question, like, three years ago.”

Prompto’s joking, of course, his comment is highly inappropriate, but Ignis is silent for a moment, and Prompto could nearly gasp when he sees that there’s a touch of pink to the other man’s cheeks. Prompto can’t believe he  _ embarrassed  _ him. Prompto wants to make fun of it, but Prompto doesn’t want to spend the rest of the work day gutted by Ignis, so he refrains.

“Do you have plans after work, Prompto?”

Prompto wonders if Noct will want to do something, but seeing as they hadn’t made any plans, he shrugs. “Nope. Why?”

“Come see me at the end of the day. I’ll escort you to my flat -- er,  _ our _ flat, and we can plan things further, perhaps?”

It’s a little stupid for Prompto to think that it sounds like a date when they’re planning on getting  _ married,  _ but it makes Prompto’s heart run a marathon. Sure, he’s spent hours upon hours at the  _ office  _ with Ignis, eaten food that Ignis has offered him, gotten Ignis coffee, accepted a ride home from Ignis on occasion when he worked later than public transportation could take him home, and other things like that; this, however, was  _ intimate.  _ Prompto’s never been to Iggy’s place before.

Prompto returns back to Eos after staring at Ignis for way longer than he should have. “It’s a date, dear husband of mine!”

“Fiancé,” Ignis corrects. “We aren’t quite married  _ yet,  _ although I appreciate the enthusiasm.”

Shit. How did his life get so damn weird?

As it turns out, Noct actually didn’t drink his whole frappuccino. When Prompto returns to his own office, Noct is essentially in the same spot that Prompto left him, although this time he’s playing a game on his phone. Prompto immediately crosses the room and starts drinking his sweet, sweet caffeine, temporarily ignoring the editor-in-chief’s son in favor of neglected coffee.

“Don’t you have, like, work to do? Have I asked you that already today?” Prompto snorts.

“I’m totally finished,” Noct lies. “Didn’t drink all your coffee. Wanted to, but… didn’t.”

“You’re my hero, Noct.” Sarcasm drips from his tone. 

“So. You and Specs, huh?” Noct teases.

Prompto lets out the World’s Longest Groan. “Dude.  _ Don’t.”  _

Noctis moves his legs from Prompto’s desk, sitting up straighter just to level a grin at Prompto. “You’re lucky my dad bought that -- or at least he pretended to. You know, like, this is huge. I’m going to torture you about this  _ forever. _ ”

Prompto frowns. “Oh, yeah? What about you and  _ Gladio _ , huh? You two seem  _ awfully _ friendly.”

Noctis snorts. “Don’t even try that. We’re still focusing on you. Plus, I can admit that Gladio’s hot. You can’t do that with Specs. Unless if you’re drunk.”

Prompto sighs as he realizes Noctis isn’t going to let him live this down. “Okay, so what if he is? That doesn’t change anything. It’s not like I  _ enjoy _ this. If you’re not gonna go to your office the least you could do is let me have peace in mine, dude,” Prompto whines.

Noct laughs. “Nah, you love it. You secretly love the fact that you get an excuse to get all up close and personal with Specs.”

“No. I’m just… helpin’ him out. Pretty sure this whole magazine would, like, collapse if he had to leave.” At least Noctis is one person he doesn’t have to pretend he’s in love with Ignis to, thank the Astrals for  _ that _ .

Noct snorts. “Yeah.  _ Sure _ . Hey, remember that one time you got drunk at the office holiday party last year and said you totally wouldn’t mind sucking his--”

“Nope! Not having this conversation! I’m out!” Prompto shouts, immaturely covering his ears.

This is definitely going to be a long ride. And, yeah, Prompto  _ totally  _ remembers that time.

\-----

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this lovely artwork above for the fic was done by echo, my lovely fiance, who can be found on [tumblr](https://buckleyeddie.tumblr.com/) and [twitter](https://twitter.com/nyaactis)


	2. Chapter 2

The only thing that Prompto can focus on the entire work day is Ignis. More importantly, the fact that Ignis will be his husband for an indeterminable amount of time.

_ Husband.  _ Ignis. The two words never even seemed even near the realm of possibility for Prompto, ever; yet, here he is, thinking about what their (fake) wedding would be like. Of course, it’d only be to keep up with appearances -- you can’t really sell fake marriages if no one  _ knows  _ about them.

That keeps Prompto fixating on the  _ selling it  _ part of the plan. They’ll have to hold hands, laugh at each other’s jokes, and be attached at the hip for the better part of the year. They’d have to  _ kiss.  _ A lot. Prompto’s heart hammers. The goblin part of his brain, of course, has wondered what it’d be like to kiss a guy that hot for quite some time. The rational part of his brain, not so much; it’d make things really weird between the two of them, and it’s not like Prompto doesn’t already feel awkward around him.

Then again, what if Ignis is a crappy kisser? Prompto snorts at the thought. If anyone is the shitty kisser between the two of them, it’d definitely be Prompto. He sort of feels guilty that he has to even subject Ignis to it, until he realizes that Ignis practically begged him for it; on one knee, and everything.

Prompto’s life really is so fucking weird sometimes.

Apparently, the rest of the office seems to think so, too. Whenever he goes and gets a snack from the vending machine or resorts to the crappy coffee in the bullpen, he hears several snickers and whispers about him and  _ Ignis. _ The color drains from his face just before it floods with probably the brightest red. Some people wink at him, which is honestly so immature. He wonders how the hell people found out at all, let alone so  _ fast. _ Ignis doesn’t seem like a gossip.

He also realizes that it’s pretty difficult to worry about deadlines and work when all he’s thinking about is coworker opinions, fake marriages and learning everything there is to know about Ignis within a week, all while convincing his family at the same time. He hopes Ignis is faring better. He probably is, the perfect bastard.

Prompto sighs, shutting his laptop and shoving it in his bag. The day seemed both slow and long, probably on account of all that’s happened. It’s not exactly as if the day is over, however.

He has to go to Ignis’s place.  _ With  _ Ignis. He’d better get used to that, he supposes. They’ll probably have to bunk together for a few months, at least. Prompto chews on his bottom lip as he gets up to head to Ignis’s office.

There’s a knock on Prompto’s already-open office door before he can make it there, and Gladio appears in the doorway.

“Hey, blondie,” Gladio greets. “Talk to you for a sec?”

Prompto’s not used to one-on-one time with Gladio, if he’s honest. Sure, they went to the gym together a handful of times, but that doesn’t really count when all you’re doing is working out. Prompto’s busy trying to figure out why the hell Gladio would need to talk to him at the end of the work day.

“Uh, yeah, sure, come on in, big guy!” 

Gladio makes his way inside, and seats himself easily on Prompto’s desk. Prompto continues to completely ruin his bottom lip with his teeth as he looks up at Gladio.

“So, you and Iggy, huh? I kinda figured you two were… somethin’, but I didn’t wanna say anything,” Gladio admits.

Prompto resists the urge to snort. It’s even funnier when Prompto’s the only one in on the joke. Something tells him that laughter wouldn’t be an appropriate response at the moment.

“Uh, yeah. You got me!” Prompto says, laughing nervously. “Sorry, I just… didn’t expect people to find out today.” That’s one way to put it.

“Yeah, Iggy explained it all at lunch,” Gladio says. “Between you and me, though, Iggy’s not the kinda guy to open up to just  _ anyone.”  _

Prompto’s eyes widen. “Oh, Gods. Are you giving me the  _ shovel talk?” _

“Shuddup. I’m happy for you two. I’m just trying to be a good friend here. And Ignis is one of my  _ best  _ friends. You are too, but, y’know, we haven’t known each other as long.”

“So you’re gonna kick my ass if I hurt him?” Prompto guesses. “Look, I’d be more concerned about him killing me.”

Gladio laughs. “Nah, I wouldn’t kick your ass, tough guy. I just wanted to tell you, y’know, be gentle with him. It’s hard for him sometimes.”

Oh. Prompto feels kind of like a dick for thinking Gladio was threatening him in the first place. “Yeah, uh. I get that.”

This is probably the most awkward conversation of his life. How does one promise a friend that he won’t fake break his  _ other _ friend’s heart with their fake marriage?

Gladio tries a different approach. “I know relationships aren’t easy, and Ignis is married to his work and all that stuff. But if you ever need advice, come see me.”

“Advice… on dating Ignis?” 

“Yep. Been there, done that, and all that,” Gladio explains.

Oh,  _ shit.  _ Now Prompto feels like some sort of homewrecker. Prompto looks anywhere but at Gladio’s eyes, and he checks the time on his phone --  _ crap,  _ late for Ignis  _ again  _ today --

“Hey, whoa there, blondie. Pump the brakes. Don’t sweat it. We’re not like that, so don’t get all jealous.” Gladio puts his hand on Prompto’s shoulder.

Prompto squirms.  _ Jealous?  _ No way. He just had no idea about this, that’s all. Why would he care that Gladio and Ignis dated once, the two most beautiful dudes in this whole company? No big deal. It has  _ nothing  _ to do with him, anyway.

“I’m not-- ha!” Prompto mutters. “Not jealous. He just… didn’t tell me, that’s all.” It’s not that Ignis  _ would _ reveal something like that. It’s none of his business; Prompto doesn’t talk about his exes to Ignis either, probably because they aren’t  _ actually  _ dating.

“Yeah, like I said, he’s kinda private. Takes a while to unlock all that. I never really got to,” Gladio laughs. “But I’ve known him for a long time, so, my door’s always open, kid.”

Prompto raises an eyebrow, and the words tumble out of his mouth before he can even stop them. “So you’re not… into Iggy at all, right?”

“Specs?” Gladio laughs loudly. “No. I told you, don’t get jealous. This was a long time ago. I just wanted to make sure we were on the same page. I figured we were.” He hesitates. “Besides, I, uh. Now that I know for  _ sure,  _ you… do you know if Noct is single? I mean, I’m guessing he is, but--”

Why the hell is Prompto relieved right now? It’s a strange feeling. Maybe he’s filling his role as fake husband better than he thought. Practice makes perfect, after all.

“Wha? Noct? Yeah, definitely. Single, I mean. Yeah. Totally.”

“Prompto? Gladio? What are you two doing in here?” Ignis’s voice asks from the doorway. Prompto’s never been so relieved to hear that ridiculously elegant accent in all his life.

“Just havin’ a talk,” Gladio responds, lips spreading into a grin. “Right, blondie?”

“Do try not to torture my fiancé,” Ignis remarks tiredly. “Darling, we had a date, don’t you remember?”

“Yeah! I mean, I was heading there,” Prompto whines. “Sorry babe!”

“My fault, Iggy,” Gladio offers. “I ain’t torturing anyone.”

“Yep. No torture at all.” Prompto smiles weakly.

Ignis raises his eyebrow. “Very well. Shall I wait for you two to finish…?”

“Nah, I think we’re done here. Unless if you had somethin’...?” Gladio asks Prompto.

“Nope, I’m good. Nice talking to you, Gladio.”

Prompto stands up, clapping Gladio on the back before he heads over to Ignis in the doorway. Prompto realizes that he does, in fact, need to keep up appearances here. He leans up on the balls of his feet to press a quick, chaste kiss to Ignis’s surprised lips. Ignis only responds at the last minute before Prompto pulls away, too nervous to linger.

Shit. Ignis’s lips really are soft, at least from what Prompto can tell from the two times that he’s touched them.

“Well, hello there,” Ignis greets, and he doesn’t know if that’s a genuine assessment of the situation or if he’s simply putting on a show.

Prompto smiles a bit for Ignis, hoping the warmth on his face isn’t readily apparent. “Heyaz,” Prompto whispers back.

Ignis stares back at him knowingly, amusement in his eyes. Ignis has never looked at Prompto like that, and Prompto can feel his legs practically turn to jelly. Maybe pretending to like Ignis wouldn’t be so difficult after all.

Gladio snorts, interrupting their staring contest. “Alright, I’m outta here. Have a good one, guys.”

Ignis finally breaks their eye contact to look over at Gladio with a gentle nod. “Gladio.”

“See ya,” Prompto whispers.

Prompto feels Ignis’s eyes on him. “Shall we, then, Prompto?”

Prompto grins, reaching for Ignis’s hand, dragging him out of his office. “Let’s go!”

Ignis doesn’t reject the gesture, but a tiny smile plays at his lips as they head toward the elevators to Ignis’s car. “You’re aware we don’t have to consistently touch all the time to convince others, correct?” Ignis asks, amusement in his tone.

“Well, yeah, but what can I say? I’m a touchy-feely kinda guy!” Prompto says with a laugh. “Speaking of convincing others… did anyone give you any shit today?”

Ignis frowns. “What do you mean, Prompto? Did someone harass you…?”

“Well, no.” Prompto laughs. “I just mean, like, they don’t really keep their voices down, do they? I tried to get some more coffee earlier and they kept making comments about me and you. Nothing mean, just… teasing, I guess. And I got some winks? Did you get any of that?”

Ignis raises an eyebrow. “People are quite fond of being inappropriate, aren’t they? But no, I’ve yet to experience anything more than a few pointed looks. I rarely make an appearance in the bullpen, however, so I’m afraid that’s why.”

Prompto bites his lip. “Yeah, guess they were surprised.”

“If anyone is being inappropriate with you, I will see to it that they’re silenced. Are you alright?”

Prompto smiles at the comment, not realizing that Ignis is apparently weirdly protective of anyone. “No, no, that’s okay. I mean, it was harmless. At least we’re convincing others.” Prompto squeezes his hand to make a point. “But, see? Physical affection works! Especially with my family, they know how affectionate I am, so they won’t buy it if we don’t touch. Unless if you don’t like that? Then I can totally stop.” Prompto lets go of Ignis’s hand worriedly.

“I’ll keep that in mind. But, no, I’m fine with it.” There’s amusement in his tone, Prompto recognizes, but something else, too. He hopes it isn’t bad. “People expect the opposite of me, I’m afraid.”

“Yeah? Is that what you did with Gladio?” Prompto asks without thinking. He really is a nosy little shit.

Ignis continues to walk, but glances downward at Prompto with surprise. “I beg your pardon? He told you about… us...?”

Prompto looks at his feet as he walks, sheepish. “Yeah. I think he was giving me the shovel talk. Like, Gladio version, all teddy bear, no violence.” Prompto snorts. “I didn’t know you guys were like that.”

“I see. I apologize for the awkwardness. He’s rather protective,” Ignis explains, still that strange tone.

“Yeah. Guess I look like the heartbreaker in our relationship.” Prompto shrugs.

“Oh, no, it’s not only you. He gave me one for  _ you _ at lunch.” Ignis laughs. “You thought he was still infatuated with me?”

“Okay, well, not having that information, yeah, I did. He thought I was jealous.” Prompto laughs along with him. “Shit, I’m such an idiot.”

There’s a smile in Ignis's voice, and Prompto looks over to check. Yeah, he’s definitely smiling, and it’s beyond beautiful. “Now, now, you weren’t aware. That  _ is  _ rather interesting. I do wonder why he came to that conclusion.”

Prompto remembers his preoccupation with the thought of Gladio and Ignis dating and his relief when he found out Gladio was interested in Noct. He finds his cheeks heating up in response. This is definitely not the time to blush, and Prompto pretty much wishes the ground would swallow him whole.

“Well, uh, he kinda threw it at me, and I didn’t know that about you guys, so I guess he misinterpreted,” Prompto says way too quickly, and he’s so grateful he didn’t stumble over his words.

Ignis chuckles. “Quite understandable.”

Prompto squints, looking over at Ignis as he unlocks his car. “You’re teasing me, aren’t you?” 

Ignis’s laughter grows more obvious. “A bit, yes. I  _ do  _ apologize for the social awkwardness of that, however. I cannot help that it is rather amusing, all the same.”

Prompto’s actually surprised he’s heard Ignis laugh this many times in one day. Maybe his work persona isn’t all there is to him after all. Prompto finds himself reveling in the sound, like it’s a secret noise that he’s only recently unlocked, which is pretty much the truth.

“I’m glad my suffering is  _ amusing  _ to you. I thought he was going to kill me, man,” Prompto whines dramatically.

Ignis tries to stifle his laughs as he slides smoothly into the driver’s seat. “He would never. Fasten your seatbelt, please.”

Prompto’s gotten a ride from Ignis a handful of times since they started working together -- okay, maybe more than a handful -- and Ignis never fails to remind him to buckle up, despite Prompto’s intention to do it to begin with. It’s kind of endearing, Prompto decides, as he buckles up regardless.

Prompto always forgets how sleek and clean Ignis’s car is, inside and out. It’s like Ignis himself, really, so it shouldn’t surprise him at all. “I always forget you have an Audi. Guess that crosses one item off the marriage interview question list. I don’t have a car, so we always use yours.”

“Indeed,” Ignis sighs. “About that -- how many questions are there?” 

“Oh, man.” Prompto laughs. “Probably 50. More. 100? There’s a  _ lot.  _ That was just the first one.”

“We might have a bit of a night ahead of us,” Ignis decides warily. 

“Yeah. Straight to your place, then, huh?” 

“Yes.” Ignis hesitates. “Actually, I think the most pressing matter would be purchasing a ring, yes? For the both of us? It can serve as an engagement ring until we sign our license, then it can keep up appearances as our wedding band.”

Prompto suddenly remembers, again, that this is all too real, and rings are  _ actually  _ something that they have to buy. It’s all so much, but if Prompto’s honest, it’s also kind of exciting, something to add to the dull of everyday life.

“Oh, shit, yeah. I know there’s some really cute ones at the thrift stores I go to. They’re cheap, too. Win-win!” Prompto exclaims.

Ignis, stopping at a red light, gives Prompto the most scathing look yet. “I’m not buying our wedding rings at a thrift shop, Prompto. We’ll buy them properly, from a jeweler.” He sounds so serious about it, it’s almost like he forgot for a moment that this is fake.

Prompto laughs. “Wow, Iggy. Didn’t know you were so passionate about fake wedding rings.”

Ignis returns his eyes to the road when the light turns green. “We don’t want to leave an unfavorable impression. I certainly wouldn’t buy you anything cheap, if we were in a relationship. Not for something such as this.”

“Yeah, but I wouldn’t care. I  _ don’t  _ care.”

Ignis smiles. “Humor me, won’t you,  _ darling?”  _

The name catches Prompto off-guard, and he suddenly finds himself melting into the passenger’s seat of Ignis’s fancy car. “Uh, yeah, okay, sure.”

“My thanks.”

The jeweler that Ignis pulls up to is definitely not known for cheap jewelry, that’s for sure. Prompto can’t really afford anything in here. He looks over at Ignis. “Uh, these are way too expensive, dude. I can’t even afford to  _ walk in  _ here.”

Ignis snorts. “Nonsense. You aren’t paying for a thing.”

“You do know where we are, right?” Prompto asks worriedly. The last thing he wants to be is some sort of mooch.

“Yes, I’m well aware, seeing as I drove us here,” he responds. “Do me a favor, and relax, won’t you? Pretend that this is real, and this is something I’d like to do.”

Prompto sighs. He’s starting to realize that Ignis is just stubborn regardless of what he’s doing. “Okay, fine.”

Prompto has to admit that the rings are all beautiful. The jeweler directs them toward the most expensive section, and Prompto has to bite back a gasp. He’s never seen such pretty jewels in his life. They’re a little too flashy for Prompto’s taste, but he has to admit they’re beautiful.

“Ignis, I’m not gonna lie, I don’t really know anything about jewelry,” Prompto whispers, as if the jeweler overhearing would kick them out for such a confession somehow.

“I’m certain we’ll find something regardless,” Ignis reassures him. “There’s some more subtle ones over here. Come.”

Prompto follows Ignis over to some wedding bands without any jewels in them at all. They’re all pretty silver and gold -- some of them with both -- and all varying varieties, sizes, and designs. 

“Damn. I don’t even know if we should do silver or gold,” Prompto admits.

“Gold would look exquisite with your complexion,” Ignis answers immediately, “if that’s not too forward.”

“...Isn’t that more expensive?”

“ _ Prompto.” _

“Okay, okay, sorry. Gold it is, then, Iggy. What about those?”

Prompto points to a pair of rings, mostly gold, with the tiniest streak of silver running through them. It’s a very subtle design, but it would look elegant enough for Ignis but not so flashy to make Prompto look completely out of place.

“Those are rather unique, aren’t they?” Ignis remarks after a moment of quiet. “A unique pair for a unique couple.” He smiles at him.

It’s really just an innocent statement, but Astrals, that  _ smile _ ; it’s like they’ve known each other forever. Prompto really can’t afford to pay this much attention to how attractive Ignis is, but how can he help it, when he has to pretend to be in love with him now? At least he doesn’t have to pretend to be  _ attracted _ to him.

“Yeah. I like them,” Prompto decides after recovering, a smile spreading on his face without permission.

“As do I.”

The last thing Prompto expects out of today would be getting his ring finger measured for a wedding band to match Ignis’s, but here he is. Prompto tries desperately not to notice how gorgeous Ignis’s hands are, but he fails at that too. Is there seriously any part of Ignis that isn’t pretty? It’s a little unfair; people probably laugh at the thought that someone like Prompto is marrying him.

“Something on your mind?” Ignis wonders.

“Nope!” Prompto lies. He sighs. “Okay, actually, yeah. Your hands are nice. Didn’t wanna sound like a creep, but oh well.”

Ignis laughs. “Nonsense. You’re very kind. Thank you, Prompto.”

Prompto flushes, he can’t help it. There’s just something so weirdly charming about Ignis, and he’s never really dealt with him in this light before. “No sweat, dude!”

Prompto’s lack of charm really is obvious, sometimes.

“We do have both of these sizes in stock, if you want ‘em. Are you ready to purchase today?” the jeweler asks them.

“Yes. We’ll take them,” Ignis decides. 

Prompto thinks he hears incorrectly when the jeweler announces the total price to them. 500,000 yen? Prompto nearly shrieks. His eyes widen as he looks over at Ignis, who pulls his wallet out with ease and hands the jeweler a shiny credit card; he looks completely at ease.

Ignis meets Prompto’s flabbergasted expression with his own calm one, and proceeds to press his free hand to Prompto’s lower back in a comforting gesture. It doesn’t really comfort him much, but it does distract him. Prompto had no idea Ignis could be so sweetly comforting. 

Prompto doesn’t talk about it until they’re safely in the car.

“500,000? Take them back,  _ now,”  _ Prompto whines. “I can’t let you do this, man. That’s so expensive.”

“I told you not to worry about it,” Ignis insists. “Now, may I put it on you, or do you wish to do it yourself?”

There Ignis is, good with the distractions again. Prompto doesn’t let him steer the conversation off-course, however. “How are you cool with spending so much money on something that isn’t real?”

“It has to be real to others,” Ignis explains. “I have quite the hefty amount of savings for emergencies. I do believe this warrants as an emergency. Now hold out your hand, please?”

Prompto frowns at him, resisting at first. His resolve wavers after staring at Ignis’s expectant look, and he sighs, holding out his finger. Ignis removes the ring from the pretty velvet ring box and grips Prompto’s hand gently, sliding the ring on his finger. There’s a reason why this feels so intimate, but Prompto can’t help but suppress a shudder at the feeling. He’s not used to wearing a ring, especially not one like this. It feels heavy on his finger, but not in a bad way. He looks down, wiggling his fingers. Prompto has to admit that the ring does look really beautiful on. Another sigh escapes his lips. 

“I’d be sad to take this off when this is done,” Prompto finds himself admitting. “I won’t let it get scratched, though, Igster, so it’ll still look great when I give it back to you.”

Ignis tilts his head quizzically at Prompto. “I wouldn’t expect it back. You may keep it; do with it however you see fit, so long as you wear it until we can finalize our divorce.”

Prompto looks at him in surprise. “You’re gonna let me keep a 250,000 yen ring?  _ Why?”  _

Ignis smiles. “Something to remember me by, perhaps.”

Prompto’s heart rate increases. He tries to ignore that, desperately. “Kinda sad talking about our divorce now that the marriage is real,” Prompto laughs, wiggling his fingers at Ignis. 

“Speaking of which, I applied for our marriage license today. It should be approved within a few days,” Ignis explains. “I’ll need you to sign it, of course.”

“So romantic,” he jokes. “But yeah, just show me where, I guess.” Prompto bites his lip.

“Cold feet?”

Prompto looks at the ring on his finger, and then over at Ignis. “Nah. This is actually kind of fun. You’re stuck with me, babe!” 

Ignis seems to visibly relax, the tension in his body melting as he awaited Prompto’s answer. “I’m relieved my immigration status is amusing to you.”

Prompto snorts. “That’s one way to put it.”

Prompto watches outside as Ignis pulls into a fancy-looking parking garage attached to a high-rise apartment building downtown. Prompto raises an eyebrow.

“You live here?” Prompto asks. “Wow.”

“Indeed. Is there a problem?” 

“No, no. Just realized another question on the list got answered. We moved into your place, not mine. Way bigger, way fancier.”

“Closer to work, as well,” Ignis supplies. “I suppose we did.”

“Starting to feel a ‘lil insecure here,” Prompto laughs.

“Why is that?” Ignis asks as he leads Prompto to the garage’s fancy elevator.

Prompto watches with slight horror as Ignis presses the top floor button. Of  _ course  _ Ignis lives in the penthouse. Prompto might work in the same department as Ignis, but the perks of Ignis’s position over Prompto’s don’t really settle in until Prompto compares the two in a romantic light.  _ Astrals. _

“Fancy car, fancy apartment, fancy rings… you’re, like, way outta my league, dude,” Prompto says awkwardly, laughing again and rubbing the back of his neck for what feels like the millionth time today.

Ignis raises an eyebrow at him. “Why does that matter? You don’t have to have the same financial background as me for me to fall in love with you. I hope I haven’t given  _ that _ impression of myself.”

“No! No, no, no! Not at all, Iggy, I’m sorry. I’m just, uh, insecure, I guess.” He laughs. “Ignore me.”

“Well, what’s mine is yours,” Ignis points out gently. “And, I might add, we are equals. No need for insecurity.”

“Easier said than done,” Prompto remarks. 

“You’ll get used to it with time,” Ignis reassures him.

Prompto nods, silently hoping Ignis is right as he follows him into his apartment nervously, hoping this evening goes as well as it possibly can.


	3. Chapter 3

It’s easily the fanciest place he’s ever been in, apart from Noct’s, of course. Everything is tastefully furnished, clean, and organized. It’s the total opposite of Prompto’s place, but he’s starting to feel like he’s the total opposite of Ignis in almost every way.

Prompto forgets to respond in favor of watching Ignis slowly roll the sleeves up on his designer shirt, fastening them to the button on his sleeve. He absentmindedly peels his gloves off with his teeth, setting them on the counter temporarily. Prompto had no idea that he would find this act so attractive until Ignis has already done it, and every word he’s planned on responding to him with completely flies out the window.

Ignis opens his own ring box, then, and Prompto realizes he hasn’t stopped staring at Ignis until he feels Ignis’s eyes boring into his skull. Prompto meets his gaze, snapping back to reality.

“Care to do the honors?” Ignis wonders, holding out the box onto his outstretched palm. Ignis apparently misinterpreted his preoccupation, which Prompto is completely okay with.

Prompto blinks. “Oh. Yeah, sure!” 

Prompto crosses the distance between them, sliding the ring out of the velvet box easily. His hands tremble a bit as he grabs Ignis’s, but he shakes it out before Ignis can comment on it. Prompto slides the ring onto his finger slowly, still so surprised his hands are as warm and soft as they are.

“There we go,” Prompto says softly. “How’s it feel?”

Ignis smiles, flexing his fingers. “I see what you mean, now -- it will be a shame to remove this at a later time. Perhaps I’ll be one of those divorcees who continue to wear their ring because they cannot move on.”

Prompto throws his head back and laughs. “I can’t really picture you as one of those. But I mean, hey, whatever works!” 

Ignis chuckles. “Now, now, you can never tell.” He sighs. “I suppose we can tackle a few of the questions on that list, I presume, as I prepare supper for us?”

Prompto perks up. “Oh, yeah. There’s tons of questions about cooking. Can I help? Gotta feel useful somehow.”

“You may, so long as you remember some questions for us,” Ignis says as he pulls various vegetables from his refrigerator. “Chop these finely, if you can? What is your favorite food?”

Prompto snorts. “That’s totally one of the questions.”

Ignis smiles. “I gathered, but I need to know what to prepare, as well. Do you still enjoy spicy food?”

“Oh, uh, you don’t gotta do that, Iggy! But, I dunno. I like a lot of things. But yeah, I still like spicy stuff. I can’t believe you remembered!” Prompto gushes, but he’s not really that surprised at all. “There’s a place real close to my apartment that has really good curry, and uh, I eat there a lot. Green curry, stuff like that.” Prompto sighs. “Though, I’ll eat anything, pretty much, as you know from late nights at the office. I’m not super picky.”

“Still the opposite of Noct; how refreshing,” Ignis says with a laugh. “I think I can arrange something of that manner. Thank you. I didn’t wish to assume based on our past experiences.”

Prompto smiles. This really isn’t so bad; Ignis is managing to be polite for him, which is probably more than Prompto deserves for invading his home like this -- even if Ignis is the one who needs him. He works on chopping the vegetables, and looks over at Ignis who starts to mash a bunch of green chillies and other vegetables and ingredients in some sort of a bowl. Prompto clearly hasn’t thought of just how much effort this dish would take.

“Wow, uh, nothin’ out of a can, huh? I’m guessin’ you’re not a microwave kinda guy,” Prompto mutters. Prompto is very much a Microwave Guy. If it’s possible to microwave anything, Prompto’s tried it -- even with things that aren’t really microwaveable.

“Not particularly, but sometimes it’s necessary. I’m presuming by your tone that you are?”

“Yeah. Oh man, yesterday at lunch I microwaved rice. It totally worked. Did you know you could do that? I didn’t. It was awesome.” Prompto laughs.

There’s silence, and Prompto stops chopping vegetables to look over at Ignis, who is now currently frowning at Prompto.

“Uh. You good?” Prompto checks warily.

“If I may be so bold, won’t you allow me to prepare your lunches from now on? I’m suddenly concerned on behalf of your nutrition,” Ignis teases, though something in his tone is oddly serious. 

Prompto snorts. “Gods, I wish. Too bad you aren’t my real husband. Ha.”

“I’m being genuine, Prompto,” Ignis insists. “It wouldn’t be too strange, considering our relationship, pretend or otherwise. What do you normally bring to lunch besides… microwaved rice…?” It looks like it pains Ignis to say those two words together.

Prompto stalls for a moment. He can’t detect any trace of teasing from Ignis. Was he actually serious about bringing lunch for Prompto?

Prompto snorts. “Uh, sometimes some ramen. Or I go out with Noct. Or get some stuff from the vending machine. Maybe a sandwich or granola bars from home if I’m planning on working late with you. Why?”

Ignis looks about ready to pass away now, lips pursed and pausing his stirring in the skillet he’s prepared. “I’m afraid I insist. Allow me to bring you something at least tomorrow, and you may see how you enjoy it?”

Prompto blinks. “Are you… for realsies? You really don’t gotta do that.”

“Yes, I’m serious. Please?”

Prompto feels bad accepting this, but he doesn’t seem like he’ll budge on that. “Uh, sure, I guess. But you don’t gotta.”

“I’m aware,” Ignis insists, pushing his glasses up his nose as he adds a few more cloves of garlic and some oil to the skillet. “You deserve a decent meal here and there, Prompto. I’m sorry my workload prevents you from acquiring that.”

“Oh, man, it’s not… like,  _ totally _ your fault. I just suck at prioritizing stuff,” Prompto explains. “But… uh, thanks, Iggy.”

“It’s my pleasure, truly.”

Prompto totally believes him.

“Guess that answers another question on the list,” Prompto snorts.

“What one might that be?”

“‘ _ Who does most of the cooking?’”  _ Prompto reads off his phone once he’s done with the vegetables. He laughs. “That’s definitely you, along with the grocery shopping.”

“I’m afraid so. Perhaps our shopping is a joint venture,” Ignis teases.

“Where you totally deny my requests for junk food.” 

“Precisely.” Ignis’s responding smile is nearly blinding.

Prompto tries not to dwell too much in the fact that it’s only been a few hours since this has all started, and Ignis is already insisting on cooking for him. He wonders how many other perks of ‘married’ life Prompto can accidentally get out of the dude. Ignis doesn’t seem to mind, after all.

Prompto watches as Ignis is truly in his element while cooking. There’s a carefree smile on his face, one Prompto’s never seen before as he adds some sliced daggerquill breast to his skillet, seasoning it with lime, what looks like cilantro, and cumin. Prompto’s not even sure if Ignis even looked up the recipe before making this. 

“Wow, you, uh, you really like cooking, huh?” Prompto marvels.

“It’s certainly useful, and rewarding when done for others,” Ignis says offhandedly. “What other sorts of questions are there, Prompto?”

“Hmm, well, we kinda answered the pizza question. You don’t like anchovies.”

“I don’t know what you prefer,” Ignis points out.

“I like pepperoni! Spicy stuff, sausage, peppers,  _ especially  _ jalapeños,” Prompto gushes. “What about you?”

“Well, I prefer vegetables, if I must eat pizza.”

Prompto gasps. “You don’t like pizza?!”

“That isn’t what I said; I simply prefer to make my own, is all.”

Prompto rolls his eyes. “Of  _ course  _ you do. I guess we can go halfsies on pizza?”

“Indeed.” Ignis looks more amused than anything else.

They take care of a few more questions on the list. Prompto learns Ignis’s favorite place to buy groceries, his favorite restaurants, all sorts of favorite dishes of Ignis’s (he really enjoys seafood, Prompto realizes). By the time they’ve taken care of all the cooking section of questions, the curry Ignis prepared (and Prompto barely helped with) is ready.

There’s really, truly, nothing that prepares Prompto for how wonderful homemade curry tastes. All the ingredients together taste amazing on Prompto’s tongue, and Prompto makes the most obscene noise as soon as he has a spoonful of it.

Ignis raises an eyebrow. “I presume that it’s to your liking?”

“This is amazing, Ignis. Holy shit. I mean, I knew you were a good cook, but I didn’t know it was all  _ this,”  _ Prompto gushes. “Can we get married for realsies?”

Ignis nearly chokes on the water he’s hiding behind. There’s a soft flush to Ignis’s cheeks, and Prompto smiles when he realizes that means Ignis must really like compliments about his cooking. He files that away in his brain, for some reason.

“I hate to break this news to you, Prompto, but we  _ are  _ actually getting married.” Still, the tiniest smile breaks out on his lips. “I’m quite glad you enjoy it, however.”

“With cooking like this, I just might delay the divorce a teensy bit,” Prompto teases.

Ignis chuckles. “Well, I’ve no immediate plans for remarrying.”

Of course, it’s Prompto’s turn to flush now. It’s like Ignis  _ enjoys _ teasing him. Anyone teasing him usually brings out his tomato face, but Ignis brings it out of him like no other; probably due to the combination of how pretty the other man is combined with the smirk that usually accompanies his teases.

“O-oh. Good to know,” Prompto stammers, suddenly preoccupied with drinking as much water as possible instead of speaking. 

Prompto’s ring taps loudly against the glass he’s drinking from, not used to wearing it; it takes him by surprise. He sets the glass down in favor of admiring the way the dining room light shines on the ring, and then he remembers something.

“Oh, shit! Lucisgram!” Prompto gasps, looking up at Ignis in horror.

Ignis raises an eyebrow. “I beg your pardon?”

Prompto sighs. “If we’re dating… if we’ve  _ been  _ dating, then I would have posted pics of us  _ all  _ over Lucisgram. I practically live on that app. Photography, and all that, y’know? My sister is  _ definitely  _ not going to buy this. Aranea goes on that app almost as much as I do.”

Ignis seems lost in thought for a moment. “Well, since we’ve only decided to go public today, perhaps we can pretend that you refrained from posting photographs of us on the app since then?”

Prompto narrows his eyes, trying to find a flaw to Ignis’s logic, but finds none. “Hmm. Okay. But now that the chocobo's outta the bag…” He looks to Ignis, expecting him to finish his sentence.

“I presume you’d like to take photographs of me?” Ignis clarifies, looking more amused than anything else. Obviously, Ignis doesn’t know how important pictures are to Prompto, something he’ll have to learn.

“Duh! Couple photos, dude! Doing cutesy shit. If I was dating you for reals, I’d have a  _ million _ pics of you, especially on Lucisgram. I guess the only thing we gotta do is make up for lost time,” Prompto blurts, his excitement about photography making him completely forget to be nervous around Ignis.

“I suppose, if that helps the narrative,” Ignis allows. “Perhaps… one with our rings?”

Prompto perks up, practically jumping out of his seat. “Iggy, you’re a genius! Okay, lemme get a few.” Prompto pulls out his phone, as he walks around the table to Ignis, tugging on his arm. “C’mon, we need better lighting.”

Prompto swears he hears a soft laugh as Ignis gets up from the table, following Prompto into the kitchen. Prompto bubbles with excitement. He may not know that much about relationships -- especially  _ committed  _ ones with marriage and all that -- but he does know photography, and he can make this look completely convincing, he’s sure of it.

Prompto hadn’t really prepared for how intimate this would be once they’re alone in Ignis’s kitchen, knowing they’ll have to take couple photos together. Prompto’s still excited, of course, but there’s a layer of anxiety that wasn’t there moments before, as well.

“Well, here we are. I’m all yours,” Ignis says, still that gentle amusement in his tone, as if coaxing Prompto out of his anxiety.

Prompto laughs off the suggestion, opening the camera app on his phone. “I don’t have my real camera with me, left it at home since I was in a hurry, but on our road trip we can take a bunch with it. Here, put your hand on the counter, so we don’t move too much.”

Ignis obliges, placing his left hand next to Prompto’s, hands touching slightly. Prompto bites his lip, figuring out how to make the pose better. 

“Prompto?” Ignis asks, and his voice is so much closer than Prompto expects.

Prompto laughs nervously. “Here, uh, link our fingers together? Yours on top, ‘cause your hands are prettier than mine.” He snorts as he flips his palm over. “That way, our rings can be touching?”

“That’s quite creative,” Ignis notes, tone slightly surprised. Ignis’s fingers entwine with Prompto’s, so that their ring fingers come together slightly. 

Even Prompto has to admit the pose looks adorable -- you know, if they were actually getting married because they were in  _ love _ . 

“And your hands are lovely, nonsense,” Ignis adds while Prompto’s lost in thought.

Prompto chews on his bottom lip, heart pounding in his ears. He laughs gently. “You don’t gotta say that, Iggy. But thanks.”

“You’ve freckles on your hands. I never noticed.” Ignis seems lost in thought.

Prompto lines up the shot on his phone. “Yeah, I got freckles pretty much everywhere,” he laughs.

“I see.”

Prompto sneaks a quick look at Ignis, and he still looks contemplative. Ignis catches him staring, and Prompto laughs again, even more nervous.

“Alright, hold still.” Prompto snaps a few shots from different angles, biting his lip in concentration. He desperately tries to ignore how warm Ignis’s hand is, and how nice it feels to touch someone like this. He scrolls through the photos; only one of them is blurry, thankfully. Prompto moves his hand from Ignis’s, not wanting to get too comfortable. “I think I got enough.”

“May I see?” 

Prompto doesn’t really expect that. He hands his phone to Ignis, waiting for him to scroll through all the options. Ignis hums under his breath, handing the phone back to Prompto gently. Their fingers brush, and even though they were just touching a moment ago, Prompto feels goosebumps travel up his arm.

“I must say, your skills will be quite  _ handy _ for this,” Ignis tells him, a tiny smirk on his face.

Prompto frowns, trying not to laugh, until a giggle gives him away. “You’re really proud of that one, aren’t you?”

“Perhaps.” The smile widens.

“Good one, Iggy.” He rolls his eyes, but he can’t seem to stop smiling. “They’re really okay?”

“They’re absolutely perfect,” Ignis promises. 

Prompto grins. “Alright, cool. I figured I’d save ‘em for when we tell my family about the whole… engagement thing. In the meantime, let’s take some selfies, huh?”

Prompto flips his camera app to the front-facing camera. He takes a deep breath, hoping that he can hold all his nerves in as he steps close to Ignis and holds out his phone. Prompto feels Ignis’s arm slide around his waist, pulling him gently against him and all of Prompto’s resolve shatters as he snaps a few pictures. It’s not just Ignis’s hands that are warm; he’s like a furnace, and Prompto can feel Ignis’s subtle yet firm musculature as they’re pressed together like this. Shit, he must work out. A  _ lot.  _ Prompto hopes he doesn’t start sweating.

“Is this alright?” Ignis asks before Prompto can, misinterpreting Prompto’s silence.

“Y-yeah! Perfect! Can I, uh… can you hold it for a sec?” Prompto asks, better with actions than words.

“Certainly,” Ignis says, taking the phone from Prompto.

Prompto takes whatever courage he can muster so he can lean up into Ignis’s space even more. He presses his lips to Ignis’s cheek as he rests his hand on Ignis’s chest. Prompto feels Ignis’s cheek turn up into a smile as Prompto closes his eyes, hearing the shutter tone on his phone click a few times. Maybe Prompto is a little more nervous to do this simply because they’re alone, but Ignis squeezes Prompto’s waist reassuringly, and Prompto finds himself relaxing a bit, even smiling into the kiss. The camera clicks a few more times.

Prompto lowers himself back down, reaching for the phone to scroll through them. Gods, Prompto really hadn’t anticipated how strong his blush would be in these photos; at least they’re realistic. Prompto even looks so happy in the last few, it’s hard to tell that they’re staged. He looks at Ignis in the photos, and his soft smile is one that Prompto’s never seen, complimented by a pink flush to Ignis’s cheeks as well. Prompto had no idea Ignis could be such a good actor.

They really do look like they’re in love.

“Wow. These look real,” Prompto marvels, picking one of the best ones to crop and upload to Lucisgram.

Ignis laughs softly. “Well, technically, they are.”

Prompto snorts. “True. We look convincing enough, at least.”

“Positively perfect. The kiss was a nice addition. Quick thinking, Prompto.”

Prompto tries to calm the heat that floods his cheeks. “Thanks, man!” 

Prompto’s quick to write a caption to the photo he’s just uploaded, a long with about a dozen heart emojis:  _ so glad i can finally post this!!!! _

He knows Aranea won’t let him live it down, but at least it’s something. 

“We should probably get a few more in different outfits, so it looks like they’ve been taken on different days, but… this will do for now,” Prompto says. “Maybe you could kiss me in one of ‘em. Ha.”

“Mmm, while we’re on the subject…” Ignis begins, stiffening just a bit, “I suppose we should practice that. You tense up far too much when you kiss me.”

Prompto’s heart starts to pound at the suggestion as he rubs the back of his neck self-consciously. “Y-yeah, I mean, I’m not really used to kissing you, dude!” he fires back defensively.

Ignis laughs. “Yes, well, perhaps we should allow you to become accustomed to it.”

“Like… just… kiss? Right now?” Prompto’s cheeks couldn’t possibly get redder, his heart pounding in his chest.

Ignis levels a gentle look at Prompto. “I do realize we’re not attracted to each other in that way, so I apologize for the awkwardness. We certainly don’t have to, if you’d rather not. I simply thought it’d be easier to practice alone, so that in case we have to in public, it won’t be as daunting for you.”

Gods, Prompto has no idea how Ignis sounds and looks so calm while talking about this. It’s no secret that Prompto  _ loves  _ kissing, and kissing someone as gorgeous as Ignis wouldn’t exactly be a chore if it wasn’t so awkward, given their relationship.

Also, if Prompto’s honest, it’s been a while since he’s kissed anyone like this.

Prompto makes the mistake of looking at Ignis’s lips instead of remembering to respond, and Ignis’s lips part in surprise at the attention. Prompto politely looks away shyly as his heart continues to hammer.

Prompto feels Ignis’s hand gently touch his shoulder. “Prompto, we don’t need to do this. I assumed since it seemed so easy for you to kiss me at the office, we could try it again. I don’t wish you to be uncomfortable.”

Has Ignis always been this kind? Prompto sort of ignored it between the piles of workloads and the stress of deadlines Ignis has always shared with him, and Prompto regrets being so intimidated by him.

Prompto looks up at Ignis, trying to ignore his anxieties. If Ignis was disgusted or unwilling to do this, he wouldn’t have been the first to suggest it, Prompto tells himself. Practicing is the only way to make it less difficult.

“No! No, you’re right. We should do it. Earlier when I kissed you… at the office… it just was like, without thinking, y’know?” Prompto tries to explain, laughing nervously. “I’m thinkin’ about this a whole lot.”

Ignis smiles. “I understand. It’s unfamiliar for me as well. Perhaps try not to think about it so much? I won’t bite, I promise.”

Great, now all Prompto can think about is Ignis and  _ biting,  _ which definitely doesn’t do a whole lot of help, especially in these dumb work pants that suddenly feel a lot tighter. Prompto focuses on breathing, taking a deep breath before stepping up closer to Ignis, closing the distance between them.

“Okay, okay, yeah, that’s true,” Prompto laughs nervously. “Just kissin’ coworkers. No biggie.”

Ignis laughs, smiling softly as he looks down at Prompto. He’s waiting for Prompto to make the first move, he realizes, as Ignis makes no move to lean in. Prompto bites his lip for a moment, reaching to use Ignis’s shoulder for support, when he realizes his hands are trembling. Prompto feels like such a certified disaster. As soon as his hand makes contact with Ignis’s shoulder, he looks up at Ignis nervously.

Astrals above, does Ignis look beautiful from this angle. He looks so gentle in this light, waiting patiently for Prompto to be comfortable enough. Prompto feels so guilty for freezing like this; he hopes Ignis doesn’t get the wrong idea --

“Relax,” Ignis whispers, the soft, deep timbre of his voice at this close range settling comfortably along Prompto’s nerves. “Allow me…?”

Prompto nods yes, not even sure if he can manage words right now.

Ignis smiles softly. “I’ve got you,” he promises, like the words aren’t the sweetest Prompto’s ever heard. Ignis lifts his hand smoothly toward Prompto, fingers sliding around the back of Prompto’s neck to cradle his head, thumb resting just along Prompto’s cheekbone. The touch causes Prompto to shiver pleasantly, completely frozen in place.

Ignis leans in, gently pressing his lips to Prompto’s.

Prompto parts his lips in surprise at how quickly Ignis leaned in, but as soon as Ignis’s lips move softly against his own, Prompto  _ melts.  _ He has no idea why he was so scared of this. Ignis is so gentle, thumb stroking Prompto’s cheekbone reassuringly, as a reminder to relax. Prompto unthinkingly slides his hands up Ignis’s chest to lock around his neck, securing the other man to him as Prompto kisses him back. Ignis smiles against Prompto’s mouth, his free arm sliding around Prompto’s waist.

This feels so nice, Prompto nearly forgets that it’s all pretend. He tilts his head selfishly, giving himself a better angle to press several more chaste kisses to Ignis’s lips. Ignis hums in surprise at the gesture, but doesn’t push Prompto away, kissing him back eagerly every time. One of Prompto’s hands moves from Ignis’s neck to touch his face, holding Ignis there as they kiss. Ignis’s lips are the softest he’s ever felt. He wonders what it’d be like to go further than just chaste, closed-mouthed kisses. He wonders how Ignis would react. 

Prompto retreats before his goblin brain can do any more damage. He separates their lips, still too dazed to move his hands from Ignis’s neck. Prompto blinks in surprise, a little breathless as he watches Ignis slowly open his eyes.

“Well, that was…” Prompto breathes awkwardly, “...not bad?”

Ignis’s tongue darts out to wet his lips, letting out a few heavy breaths of his own as he looks down at Prompto with a bit of surprise of his own. “Not bad indeed,” Ignis agrees. “You relaxed rather well that time.”

Prompto thinks about why that would be, and he tries to stop his cheeks from reddening to no avail. “Yeah. I mean, I like kissing. So that’s… that was…” Prompto trails off, not sure if the truth is the least awkward thing right now.

“That was quite pleasant,” Ignis finishes for him. A soft smile settles on his lips.

Prompto relaxes a little. “Yeah. It was.”

Ignis takes the liberty to disentangle himself from Prompto. Prompto feels a bit chilled all of a sudden, shivering at the loss, having gotten used to Ignis’s warmth for those brief moments. Prompto’s fingers tingle, like they ache to touch Ignis’s skin again. Prompto knows he’s already in way too deep with this, and needs to relax. He’s just lonely, that’s all. These kisses and closeness just are reminding him how long it’s been since he’s dated anyone. That’s totally all it is.

“Are you cold?” Ignis wonders. “I can fetch you one of my coats, if you’d like.”

“No, no, that’s okay. You’re just really warm,” Prompto says, laughing a little. He entertains the thought of wearing one of Ignis’s coats, however, and finds himself way too charmed by the idea.

“Ah. My apologies. I’ve been told this before.”

Prompto’s phone buzzes in his pocket as he tries to push the weird wave of jealousy that flows through him at Ignis’s words. Prompto fishes his phone out, seeing a Lucisgram message from Aranea from twenty minutes ago.

**Direct message from Aranea (7:46PM): ** _ who’s the dude? Isn’t that your boss? _

“Oh, crap, my sister,” Prompto huffs under his breath.

“Something wrong?” Ignis asks, barely concealing the curiosity in his voice.

Prompto snorts. “She thinks you’re my boss.”

“Oh, dear.”

**Direct message to Aranea (8:02PM): ** _ no way, dude! why does everyone think that? coworker, that’s all. _

**Aranea (8:03PM): ** _ doesn’t look like ‘that’s all’ to me. why didn’t you tell me, shortcake? _

Prompto is about to respond, feeling a bit guilty that he hasn’t been home in so long or updated his sister on things, when his phone beeps and promptly dies shortly thereafter.

“Shit,” Prompto whines. 

“Is everything alright?” Ignis wonders, looking about to burst from lack of knowledge.

“Yeah, phone just died. I usually bring my charger but this morning was… well, you know,” Prompto sighs.

“I can get you a charger, or perhaps I should take you home…? I didn’t intend to keep you this long,” Ignis murmurs apologetically. 

“No, this was actually pretty fun,” Prompto promises. “Is that okay…? I don’t gotta, like, live here, do I?”

Ignis laughs. “I’m certain one night at your place won’t do any harm. However, perhaps, to keep up appearances… for a short while at least, you can bring some of your things here.”

Prompto chews on his lip. “Yeah. That works. Might as well. Be cool to stay in this fancy place anyway.” He laughs. “Are you sure, though? I can take the bus home, no biggie.”

Ignis frowns. “Well, I’d be quite the terrible husband if I allowed  _ that _ . I’m afraid I insist.”

Prompto grins. “Thanks, man. I  _ really  _ didn’t wanna ride the bus tonight.”

“Then, might I ask why you offered…?” Ignis chuckles.

Prompto shrugs. “Didn’t wanna be a burden, I guess.”

“You’re rather self-sacrificing, aren’t you?” Ignis asks as he grabs his keys off the counter.

Prompto shrugs before he follows Ignis down the elevator out to his car. “I dunno, I guess. I just don’t wanna be annoying, y’know?”

“So, all those times that you’ve ridden the bus just to come to work on the weekends with me, or riding it home late, you were miserable?” Ignis wonders.

Prompto laughs as he gets into Ignis’s car. “Yeah. Pretty much.”

“You should have asked me to take you home,” Ignis says softly before pulling out of the parking garage. “I would have always done so, you know. I simply didn’t wish to overstep boundaries.”

“I guess I didn’t want to, either,” Prompto says softly. He snorts. “You know, I kinda thought this whole time there was a stick up your ass, but I guess it was my own stick. Up my own ass.”

Ignis frowns, pushing his glasses up his nose as he waits at a red light. “How eloquently put,” Ignis remarks. There’s a few beats of silence. “I’ve never had a problem with you, for the record, Prompto.”

Prompto feels kind of guilty, because he can’t say the same. “I, uh, that’s good to know. I thought you hated me. I’m stupid.”

“You are many things, I will give you that, but you are never stupid.”

Prompto doesn’t know what to say to that. They’re silent all the way to Prompto’s place, which is a good twenty minutes away. The silence isn’t uncomfortable; Ignis puts the radio on as soft background noise, but Prompto doesn’t focus on it. Insomnia city lights are always pretty at night, but he can appreciate them a lot more from Ignis’s quiet car than the roar of a bus or getting off the busy subway train. Even the traffic lights are pretty, but maybe that’s only because Prompto is looking at them as they’re reflected off of Ignis’s face.

The man is so beautiful, it’s a little sad.

Prompto barely registers the fact that Ignis has pulled up to Prompto’s apartment building, he gets so lost in thought.

“May I ask you something, Prompto?”

Prompto fidgets in his seat at the nerve-wracking way Ignis phrases the question. “Sure, dude. Shoot.”

“Will you allow me to pick you up for work tomorrow morning?”

Prompto raises his eyebrows. “I’d say you don’t have to do that, but something tells me you’re gonna insist.”

Ignis laughs. It’s a beautiful sound in such a confined space. “Indeed, I will.”

Prompto thinks about it. It  _ would  _ save him from being late, or having to ride the bus, which is always a bonus. Besides, them showing up to work together would help their narrative in a subtle and easy way. Still, he’d feel guilty about Ignis making so many trips over here for no reason, so an idea plants itself into his head.

“Okay, sure. But… instead of you driving all the way over here again, I can just grab a bag and bring some stuff to your place now, maybe? I can crash on your couch. Keep up appearances, and stuff like that. But if that’s… weird, or whatever, I can just crash here. Up to you, dude,” Prompto rambles.

“That’s an excellent idea,” Ignis says quickly. “I’ll wait out here for you, then?”

Prompto grins, happy that Ignis doesn’t have a problem with it. “Sweet! I’ll be back in a jiffy!”

So, he’s spending the night with Ignis. No reason to freak out, or anything. He’s totally got this. Right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DOES HE, THOUGH???


	4. Chapter 4

Prompto’s never worried about packing things in his entire life, so Prompto has no idea why he’s staring at his drawers and closets like they’re filled with foreign objects instead of his own belongings.

Prompto has no idea what to bring.

He shoves a lot of work clothes in there, that’s mostly what he has these days, anyway; some sleepwear, and some fairly nice shirts for when he brings Ignis to meet Cor. He doesn’t have anything fancier than that, but business clothes would make up for that. He shoves his phone charger in his pocket. He only has a few pairs of shoes, so he just improvises and shoves his casual boots in there, a few t-shirts and jeans on top of his work clothes. As he’s shoving toiletries in his bag, he stares at the box of condoms that have basically been collecting dust the past few months in his bathroom drawer. He wonders if his foster father, Cor, would be nosy enough to check to make sure he had them on their trip. Prompto curses himself internally for overthinking  _ that.  _ No way, not since high school, at least. He shoves the drawer closed, condoms still inside. He makes sure to pick up his camera, full of unused film thankfully, along with his polaroid camera, and he’s ready.

Prompto lets out a deep breath.  _ Relax, Prompto.  _ It’s just Ignis. Ignis, who before today, was believed to be absolutely untouchable, possibly an inhuman vampire in Prompto’s eyes. Juuuuust Ignis. 

He’s doomed.

Prompto runs back out to Ignis, who’s waiting in his car with the engine running, scrolling through his phone absentmindedly. He puts his bag in the backseat and sits in the front.

“Sorry ‘bout the wait,” Prompto says awkwardly, “didn’t know what to bring.”

“That’s quite alright. Do you have enough to wear for our excursion to Lestallum this weekend?” Ignis asks, looking up from his phone to acknowledge Prompto.

“Yep! And we can totally take more selfies now that I have more clothes. Gotta fill my phone up with so many pics. And my cameras, too. I brought those. My sister will definitely expect to see all of them, too.”

Ignis laughs. “You’re putting far more effort into this than I anticipated.”

Prompto bites his lip. “I mean, you only get married for the first time once, right?”

Ignis smiles. “I suppose that is true.”

As Ignis drives, Prompto manages to get his phone charged enough in Ignis’s car to turn it on, and he hastily replies to Aranea’s message from earlier.

** _Prompto (8:42PM): _ ** _ sorry, my phone died. but it’s not your fault sis!!! we were just keeping it on the downlow for a bit bc office romances are a little wild. we didn’t wanna make a huge deal out of something that wasn’t serious _

Ignis is quiet while Prompto exchanges messages between his sister, and Prompto knows she’s starting her bartending work shift in about 15 minutes, so he doesn’t expect an immediate reply, but Aranea surprises him, as usual.

** _Aranea (8:44PM): _ ** _ so, you can’t tell your big sister? not like I’m close enough to spread workplace rumors. Lame excuse, blondie. So, it’s serious now, then? _

Prompto blushes. Aranea never fails to call him out on his bullshit, that’s for sure. She’s going to lose her mind once she finds out that they’re planning on marriage, sooner rather than later.

** _Prompto (8:45PM): _ ** _ you’re right, i’m sorry nea!!! I’ll make it up to you. We’re coming to see you and dad this weekend to introduce you and stuff. So it’ll be cool. But yeah it’s really serious. I haven’t felt this way about someone like ever _

** _Aranea (8:50PM): _ ** _ i guess you’re forgiven, but you’re on thin ice. Comin’ to see me, little brother? Be still my beating heart. I got someone for you to meet too, so we’re even, huh? I’m glad you found someone. He looks nice. But if he hurts you i will kill him and no one will even know what’s happened to him. _

Prompto can’t help but laugh out loud at that. Aranea’s never been shy to say what’s on her mind, and he supposes that includes her approval of his potential significant others. 

“What is it?” Ignis asks, finally breaking the silence between the two of them.

“My sister just threatened to kill you if you ever hurt me,” Prompto teases. “I think she’s serious.”

“Is that so? I’ll have to take extra care for you, then. I would hate to lose my life,” Ignis says amusedly. “She sounds very protective.”

“Oh, yeah. Definitely. Expect shovel talks from her; like, ten of ‘em. Gladio ain’t got nothin’ on her,” Prompto warns, laughing a little.

“I’ll be on my guard.” Ignis laughs. “Perhaps I should go into hiding once we sign the divorce papers.”

Prompto laughs. “Don’t worry, I’ll have to tell her I cheated or something to get her off your back.”

“I highly doubt she’d believe that.”

“Oh, yeah? Why? I could be a huge dick for all you know.”

Ignis rolls his eyes, laughing a little. “I truly don’t believe you could do such a thing, and she knows you far better than I do,” he admits.

Prompto snorts. “Yeah, guess that’s true. We’ll figure out somethin’.”

It’s such a weird thing to talk about; the end of their fake relationship. It’s like they have to come up with a reason to not like each other, and, at least for the past few hours, Prompto can’t really think of any reason to not like Ignis.

He is so fucked.

When they return to Ignis’s fancy apartment --  _ their _ fancy apartment, at least for the time being -- Prompto wonders how long he’ll get to stay here. Prompto doesn’t really expect to get homesick for his own crappy place, but he is a little worried he’ll get used to this one, and all the perks that come with it, Ignis and his cooking included.

“D’you mind if I shower?” Prompto asks awkwardly. “I didn’t get to this morning since I was running late, and I feel  _ so _ gross.”

“Not at all. Towels are in the closet in the hallway next to the guest bathroom,” Ignis explains. “Shall I show you?”

“No, that’s okay. Thanks, Iggy. I use that bathroom then, right?” Prompto checks, not wanting to overstep anything.

“You can use either, but I must say the water pressure in mine is far better, so I would recommend using the master,” Ignis says. “Here, I’ll take you there.”

Prompto swallows nervously, and he has no idea why. He follows Ignis into his bedroom, unable to keep himself from looking around. The bed is perfectly made, of course. There’s a fancy alarm clock on the bedside table, but all of the chargers are neatly unplugged and mostly out of sight. There’s sparse furnishings, but whatever is there is tasteful and elegant. There’s an expensive-looking treadmill in the corner of the huge room, and he’s pretty sure that Ignis’s bedroom is bigger than Prompto’s entire apartment. 

“Wow. This is fancy,” Prompto says, a little self-consciously. “Guess that answers a few questions on our marriage interview questions, too.”

“Thank you, Prompto. What do you mean?”

“Your bedroom has one window. Bet it’s a hell of a view. Looks like a queen-sized bed. Uhhh… your comforter is, like, dark purple, and judging by the stack of books on your bedside table you read a lot before bed.”

Ignis laughs. “I  _ try,  _ at the very least, but most of the time I work instead.” He pauses for a moment before entering his bathroom. “The color of my blanket is one of the questions?”

Prompto snorts. “Yeah. Wild, right?”

“Truly. What the bloody hell does that have to do with us being together?” Ignis asks with a laugh. 

Prompto grins. It’s a little rare to hear expletives from such a pretty, elegant accent, and Prompto loves it whenever it happens. “I dunno. Guess it proves I’ve been spoonin’ you in your bed.”

“Well, it’s not as if they’re going to break into my flat to check the color,” Ignis points out. “The shower is just in here. Turn the faucet to the left for warmer water, but be careful, it can get rather hot.”

Prompto smiles. “Thanks. I’ll try not to make a mess.”

“I’ll just be on the couch if you need anything,” Ignis tells him. “Thank you, again, Prompto. For all of this. What is mine is yours, truly.”

Prompto feels his heart hammer with affection, and he’s not even sure what kind of affection it is. His bar of expectations is so low  _ anyone _ could trip over it, but he really just likes seeing this kind, appreciative side to Ignis. 

“No problem, Iggy. Happy to help,” he says honestly.

Prompto’s really not surprised that Ignis’s bathroom is just as neat as the rest of his place. Even his toothbrush is well-hidden. Prompto doesn’t wanna be  _ that _ nosy guy and scope out his medicine cabinet, but he is really tempted. He wrestles with his temptation by keeping busy, taking his contacts out of his eyes and showering instead.

Ignis was right about both the water pressure and temperature. Prompto’s never had a shower this great in his whole life, except for when he’s showered at Noct’s place from time to time. Prompto has the temperature up so high his fair skin starts to turn pink, but he loves it that way. He washes with Ignis’s expensive shampoo and soaps, and realizes that it’s a scent he recognizes from late nights spent in Ignis’s office. It’s so much more intimate than he’s expecting, and he’s glad he’s alone when he feels the heat of blush crop up on his cheeks.

Overall, however, it’s mostly nice to have a moment to himself, and while it’s basically filled with overthinking -- about his day, Ignis, his family -- he’s grateful to have some peace and quiet.

Apparently, Ignis is grateful for peace and quiet, too. After Prompto dries and gets dressed, putting his glasses on, he heads out to the couch to maybe try to sleep, and finds Ignis dozing on it. Ignis is resting his head on his hand as his elbow is propped up on the couch arm, tablet on his lap, glasses crooked on his nose, a strand or two of his neatly-spiked hair falling forward onto his forehead. It’s actually really adorable, Prompto realizes. He’s never seen Ignis sleep  _ ever.  _ He’s actually surprised the man is capable of it. He looks so young, so innocent like this; he actually looks Prompto’s age, for once.

Prompto would feel incredibly guilty leaving Ignis here and stealing his bed, though. With a sigh, Prompto bounds over to the couch, sitting himself next to Ignis. Ignis stirs immediately, sitting up in surprise.

“Go to bed, nerd,” Prompto tells him. “Anyone ever tell you that you work too hard?”

Ignis sighs, pushing his glasses up his nose. “I didn’t realize that I dozed, my apologies. But yes, I might have heard that once or twice. How was your shower?”

“It was amazing. You weren’t kidding about that,” Prompto laughs. “But seriously, dude, I’m all done in there. Go get some sleep.”

“I’ll be sleeping on the couch tonight, Prompto. You may sleep in my bedroom,” Ignis tells him tiredly. “I won’t have you sleeping out here.”

He snorts. “Why not? This couch is comfier than my bed at home.” Prompto bounces on it a bit, testing it out for emphasis. “I’m not kicking you out of your own bed, man.”

Prompto feels Ignis’s eyes on him, and Prompto looks over at him. He really does look so tired, so Prompto has no idea how he manages to look so good regardless. 

“I believe we’ve reached an impasse, then,” Ignis declares. “I had no idea you wore glasses, Prompto.”

Prompto smiles, pushing the thick, circular frames up his nose. “Before bed, yeah. Can’t sleep in my contacts.”

“They suit you well,” Ignis says, tone gentle. 

Prompto leans over, knocking their shoulders together. “Right back atcha, dude. Now, I’ll seriously feel so guilty if you don’t go to sleep. It’s bad enough I woke you up.”

Ignis laughs. “It’s not a difficult thing to do, don’t fret. Why don’t you sleep with me, then?”

Prompto freezes. He has no idea if Ignis is joking or not, but judging by the expectant look in Ignis’s eyes, it doesn’t seem likely. How the hell could he just  _ say _ that without any hint of nerves? It’s practically impossible to Prompto.

“What? In your bed, you mean?” Prompto asks warily. “You don’t want that, dude. I’m a cuddler.”

Another laugh escapes Ignis’s lips; he truly seems to be caught by surprise by Prompto’s comment. “It will be far better to be used to such sleeping arrangements for when we’re at your father’s house, instead of having to deal with it for the first time there, don’t you think? But if it’s not something you want, I insist upon sleeping here and allowing you to take my bed.”

The only way, apparently, for Prompto to get Ignis into his own bed is to agree to this. It’s probably better to get that awkwardness out of the way, Ignis is right about that. Prompto doesn’t really have a hard time sleeping next to people; he’s passed out next to Noct after late nights at his place so many times. So why is he so nervous about this?

“Alright, fine, but if I accidentally spoon you in my sleep, it’s your fault,” Prompto says, sliding off the couch.

Ignis lets out a fond sigh. “I’m certain I’ll manage.”

Prompto can’t even lie to himself; as soon as he follows Ignis into his bedroom, he can’t stop wondering how comfortable the huge bed is. If it’s even close to as comfortable as it looks, Prompto is never going to be able to wake up ever again.

“Go ahead and get settled, won’t you? I’ll be just a moment,” Ignis says, grabbing some clothes from his closet and disappearing into the bathroom.

Prompto, apparently, turns into a goblin as soon as Ignis is out of sight. He’s pulling back Ignis’s expensive-looking sheets and comforter so he can bounce on the bed dramatically. He rolls over to the other side of the bed, stretching his whole body out and laughing, staring at the ceiling. He’s definitely going to take advantage of how comfy this is; all of Prompto’s hopes for this bed fall short of how it actually feels. Even the pillows are comfier than anything he’s ever felt, although maybe that’s just the thrill of sleeping somewhere new. 

“Enjoying yourself?” Ignis’s elegant accent asks from the corner of the room.

Prompto sits up, not realizing how much time had passed since he’s collapsed on Ignis’s bed. He pushes his glasses up his nose, running a hand through his hair afterwards, flush fresh on his cheeks at being caught. “Yeah, I mean, your bed is--” Prompto cuts himself off with surprise as soon as his eyes fall on Ignis.

Ignis is hardly wearing any clothes.

Okay, maybe Prompto is being a  _ little _ dramatic. Obviously, Ignis doesn’t sleep in work clothes but Prompto has never really  _ seen _ him outside of work clothes, so his brain hadn’t conjured this image just yet. Ignis is wearing the tightest gray sweatpants he’s ever seen, highlighting every muscle in his long, lithe legs. It’s only complemented by the equally skin-tight black tank top he’s wearing to sleep in, and suddenly Prompto realizes that Ignis not only has a toned physique as he’d originally guessed, but he’s got toned abs as well, not very well-hidden underneath the tightness of the tank he’s wearing. Prompto shouldn’t even get started about the muscles in Ignis’s arms.

Astrals above. Prompto’s never been gayer in his life.

He’s still trying to figure out how it’s somehow inappropriate to ogle your fake husband, when Ignis clearly misinterprets the situation. “Prompto? Are you alright?” 

Ignis is sitting on the bed now, only tightening the clothes he’s wearing in  _ all _ the right spots. It’s totally normal to sleep in clothes like this. Prompto’s in  _ boxers,  _ he’s wearing less clothing than Ignis is, yet Prompto can’t stop staring. He looks up into the green of Ignis’s eyes, blinking a few times, trying to chill himself out.

“Yeah! Sorry, I lost my train of thought. Um,” Prompto begins, playing with a loose thread on his pants. “Your bed’s comfy.”

Ignis hesitates for a moment, but apparently Prompto hasn’t done anything to warrant a panic response, so he relaxes. “I’m glad.”

Prompto chews on his lip. “You’re not wearing formal stuff. It’s weird.”

“Is that why you’re acting so strangely?” Ignis asks, and there’s more amusement in his tone than anything else. “I do, in fact, sleep, Prompto.”

Prompto starts to laugh nervously. “I’m not acting  _ strangely. _ Just didn’t peg you for a tank top kinda guy.” 

“Am I making you uncomfortable?” Ignis asks, and his voice is strained.

“What? No, dude. Not at all. We’re good. Sorry, I’m-- I dunno. New situation, I guess. Are you okay? I’m not freaking you out, am I?” Prompto asks, self-sabotaging as usual.

Ignis laughs -- genuinely laughs, slightly throwing his head back. Prompto watches in almost awe; he’s never seen Ignis look so carefree. He recovers, reaching out to put a reassuring hand on Prompto’s knee. Prompto realizes his knee is completely uncovered by clothing, so it’s just skin on skin. Ignis’s hand is still warm, and it gives Prompto goosebumps.

“No, Prompto. I’m not bothered at all,” Ignis promises. “I apologize if the situation is odd for you. I oddly find myself comforted by your presence. Is that strange?”

Prompto honestly could receive a dozen compliments at once, and nothing would be as satisfying as this. If Prompto thought he had any effect on Ignis at all, he thought it would be an annoyance over anything else. This, however, is completely new. Despite Prompto’s awkwardness, he can’t help but feel similarly.

“No. I guess this is kinda funny, huh?” Prompto asks with a laugh. “Just never thought it’d be like this with you.”

“I can agree with that,” Ignis murmurs. “Are you fine on that side of the bed?”

“Yeah. I gravitate toward the tv end of the bed,” Prompto laughs. “Did I pick the wrong end?”

“No. That spot is usually empty,” Ignis promises. “That’s why I found it rather amusing that you chose that side on your own. I thought I’d have to fight you for the quiet side of things.”

Prompto smiles. “No way, dude! I play video games before bed. Guess that answers question… 34? I think?” Prompto squints.

“Oh? And what’s that?”

“‘ _ What side of the bed do you sleep on?’”  _ Prompto laughs. “We’re accidentally answering our own interview questions here.”

Ignis raises an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“What we usually like isn’t changing, despite all this,” Prompto explains. “We still get what we like, so far, at least.”

“Aside from pizza toppings,” Ignis corrects, a soft smile on his lips. “But I suppose you’re right.”

“Does anyone ever agree on pizza?” Prompto asks dramatically, throwing his arm over his head as he collapses on the bed.

Ignis chuckles. “Perhaps not.”

Prompto settles into bed, relaxing into his new reclined position. He keeps the smile on his face even as he closes his eyes, until he remembers something. “Oh! Alarm?”

“I have one for six-thirty,” Ignis tells him. “If that’s not early enough, or perhaps too early, feel free to set your own.”

Prompto hesitates. That’s around the time that Prompto gets up in order to go for his morning run  _ and  _ make the bus or subway, but he has to set around ten in order to wake up. Ignis is only a few minutes from work, with his own car; there’s no reason he has to get up that early.

“Why so early?” Prompto wonders. 

“I like to have some Ebony and get work done beforehand. I also tend to exercise, but… I won’t while you’re here.”

Prompto frowns. “What? Don’t stop on my account, dude! Work out all you want.”

“My treadmill is in this room,” Ignis explains with a chuckle. “You’ll certainly wake.”

“Me?” Prompto laughs. “I could sleep through a hurricane. Trust me, dude. Do what you normally do. It takes, like, ten alarms to wake me up.”

Ignis raises an eyebrow. “Are you serious?”

“I wish I wasn’t. I sleep through my alarms so much, I’m surprised I’m not late more often.” Prompto laughs. “Seriously, do whatever you were gonna do if I wasn’t here. I won’t wake up.”

Ignis thinks about this for a moment, quiet and contemplative. “Alright. But if I’m bothering you--”

“I won’t be awake to tell you,” Prompto laughs. “Seriously.”

Ignis chuckles. “Alright, then.”

“We answered some more questions.” Prompto grins.

Ignis pulls out his tablet before answering. “Do tell.”

“‘ _ Who gets up first?’  _ and ‘ _ How many alarms do you set?’”  _ Prompto tells him, proud of himself. “This is easy!” 

Ignis scrolls through a document on his tablet; whether it’s a magazine article for work or something he reads during downtime, Prompto can’t tell. If he had to guess, it’d be for work, but apparently he’s getting all sorts of things wrong about Ignis lately. Ignis laughs gently. “We’re truly a regular power couple.”

Prompto resists the urge to bury his face in the pillow, and settles for laying comfortably with the blankets tucked under his chin. He sighs wistfully. “Got that right,  _ babe.” _

“Are you going to sleep now, Prompto?” Ignis wonders.

Prompto could honestly sleep at any second, and he’s not really surprised Ignis caught onto that. If work makes him feel anything, it’s tired. He’s usually asleep around this time as soon as he gets home. 

“Yeah, probably.” 

His phone buzzes from the nightstand, and he immediately reaches over and picks it up. It’s only a Lucisgram notification, but he sees it’s Noct that’s commented on the selfie with Ignis he uploaded earlier. 

** _princenoctgar (10:01PM): _ ** _ you guys are the best ;) _

Prompto can’t help but snort, replying to Noct with a bunch of lewd emojis. He puts his phone on the nightstand again, pleased with himself. 

“You’re all smiles,” Ignis notes.

“Noct thinks he can torture me by teasing me about us,” Prompto explains. “I’m taking the higher ground.”

“I somehow don’t believe what you’re taking is the higher ground,” Ignis teases. 

“Maybe not, but… he can’t stop me.”

Ignis is quiet for a moment. “I do realize he likely presumes what is truly happening, seeing as he knows both of us very well. Do be careful, though, love?”

Prompto’s eyes widen at the name Ignis calls him. He doesn’t even know how to speak; his heart does somersaults in his chest.

“Apologies,” Ignis laughs. “I’m afraid I’m rather used to referring to you with a term of affection already.”

Prompto remembers to breathe. “No, yeah. I feel you. No sweat,  _ sweetheart.”  _

Ignis barely contains his laughter. “Goodnight, Prompto.”

“Night, Igster.”

\-----

The shrill chirp of an alarm stirs him from his sleep. Prompto hears a groan from his own mouth, but he doesn’t remember making it. He’s so  _ tired. _ His fingers touch something soft and warm, and he sighs, curling up gently against whatever it is.

“Prompto,” an amused voice sounds in his ears. It sounds like Ignis. Why the hell is he hearing Ignis in his sleep?

Prompto curls up to the warm body further, legs tangling with whoever it is. Prompto lets out another undignified groan, flipping his hair out of his eyes as he tries to settle back into unconsciousness, his head rested against something warm -- a chest, maybe? Whatever dream he’s having is apparently a cuddly one.

Prompto feels hands gently tugging him away from the warmth. Prompto makes another noise of disapproval.

“ _ Prompto.” _

Prompto’s eyes flutter open, clearly annoyed with the pretty accent that’s interrupting his sleep. He only then realizes that the person who he has his arm curled around is  _ Ignis _ . He’s apparently laying on Ignis’s chest. The warmth he touches is Ignis’s stomach; his tank top has apparently not lasted the night, as it’s pushed up just enough for Prompto’s fingers to be gently caressing his bare stomach. It’s just as toned as Prompto remembers.  _ Shit. _

Prompto gasps, and practically rolls onto the floor on the opposite side of the bed, jumping into action without anticipating the consequences. He sits up, fingers tingling from what he’s been apparently touching for quite some time. 

“Holy shit!” Prompto finally speaks. “I’m so sorry, dude.”

Ignis, now relieved from Prompto’s death grip in the night, starts to laugh. His voice is even deeper from lack of use in the night as he sits up, legs sliding off the edge of the bed. “That’s quite alright. You warned me, after all.” His words are full of sleep, and are even deeper than his laugh. “I do need to shower, however.”

Prompto grunts, slumping back into the pillow, too tired to let embarrassment hit him any further. “M’whattimeisit?”

Another soft chuckle. “Six thirty-five.” The pressure on the bed lifts -- Ignis is standing up, Prompto guesses. He doesn’t want to open his eyes to check. “Go back to sleep. I’ll wake you later.”

“Mmm.” Prompto vaguely registers the sound of the treadmill turning on before he slips back into unconsciousness.

\-----

“Prompto,” Ignis’s voice urges him. “Wake up now, won’t you? It’s been an hour.”

Prompto sighs, stretching enough to hear his joints crack. He blindly feels for his glasses on the nightstand, waiting to put them on before opening his eyes. 

Apparently, Prompto slept not only through Ignis’s workout but through his shower too. Ignis is completely dressed for work, hair neatly spiked, looking as handsome as ever.

“Shit, did I oversleep?” Prompto worries as he takes in the state of Ignis.

“Not at all. You’ve enough time to run, if you’d like. You mentioned you enjoyed that in the past. Do you like omelettes? I thought I could prepare us some for breakfast.”

Prompto’s eyebrows shoot up. “Wow. I usually just skip breakfast. This is kinda awesome.”

Ignis hums in disapproval, but his eyes are light. Are they  _ always _ this shade of green in the morning light? Prompto’s never noticed. “You won’t with me. It shouldn’t take me longer than twenty minutes, feel free to get ready in the meantime.”

Prompto laughs. “Thanks,  _ Egg _ nis. Ha.”

Ignis stops in the doorway, a rather undignified laugh escaping his lips. “An eggcellent pun, if I do say so myself.”

Prompto throws his head back and laughs, blaming the early morning on how hard he’s laughing. “You win this round, Eggster.”

Ignis departs with a smile as he leaves him to it. Prompto looks over at the treadmill, and decides to actually run for the first time this week, now that he has the time. Prompto has to admit it’s a lot nicer running here than around his apartment building block. Prompto can easily see why Ignis wakes up early when he has all this to look forward to.

After he showers, trying to erase the memory of how Ignis’s skin felt against his fingers, he heads out toward Ignis’s kitchen. The smell of omelettes nearly knocks Prompto to the floor. Prompto’s starting to assume that Ignis can basically just expertly cook anything at this point; it’s a little unfair, especially this early in the morning.

“Good morning officially, Prompto,” Ignis greets, flipping an omelette onto a plate. His tone is weirdly light; he’s never really heard Ignis like this at the office. “Did you sleep well?”

Prompto takes the plate that Ignis slides to him. “Thanks, Iggy,” Prompto says. “But, yeah, holy crap. I don’t think I’ve slept so good in a long time. How about you?”

There’s a tiny smile playing at his lips before he can reign it in. “I’m happy to hear that. I slept well, thank you.”

Prompto takes a bite of his omelette to hide his embarrassment, and makes another obscene noise of longing. “Is there anything you can’t cook? Jeez.”

“Now, there’s many recipes I’ve yet to try. Perhaps you can help me with them during your stay,” Ignis teases.

Prompto laughs. “I’m not much of a cook, but I’ll help where I can!”

“We’ll make one out of you yet,” Ignis promises with a wink that has no business being as charming as it is. 

He snorts. “You can try.” Prompto’s about halfway through his omelette when he realizes he needs to address the catoblepas in the room before he collapses from awkwardness. “So, uh… about earlier… when I was asleep?”

There’s that tiny smirk from Ignis again, and Prompto definitely knows what’s up now. “Yes?”

Prompto wants to jump out of Ignis’s very, very,  _ very  _ high windows. “I, uh. I’m sorry about that. I had no idea I was… you know, spooning you or whatever.  _ How _ long was I…?”

A tiny laugh escapes Ignis’s mouth before he can apparently reign it in, a gloved hand covering his mouth in embarrassment. “I do believe it started about two hours after you fell asleep.”

“I was doing that  _ all  _ night?!” Prompto squeaks, heat flooding his cheeks. “Why didn’t you shove me off? Oh, man. I thought I was dreaming.”

“I got quite accustomed to it after a while,” Ignis promises. “I didn’t wish to wake you.”

“Oh, man,” Prompto groans, putting his fork down in favor of covering his face with both hands. “I’m  _ so _ sorry, dude.”

“Now, now,” Ignis chastises, though there’s affection laced with it, “no harm done.”

Shit. Prompto can’t believe he spent the entire night with his subconscious wanting to cuddle Ignis, apparently  _ all _ night long. At least nothing bad happened, but Prompto still kind of wants to gently pass away. Ignis is being so sweet about it, too, like he didn’t have to deal with his coworker practically on top of him all night.

“Man. I bet that was a weird way to spend the night,” Prompto mutters as he finishes his omelette.

Ignis chuckles. “It was certainly new, I’ll give you that.”

Prompto doesn’t think he can flush any redder than he already probably is right now. “I’m totes gonna buy you dinner just to make up for that.”

“An apology dinner for sleeping with your own husband?” he teases. “How controversial.”

Yeah, Prompto supposes that’s a little odd to say out loud like that.


	5. Chapter 5

Prompto hasn’t felt this great at work in a long time. He chalks it up to a good night’s rest (for once), but he knows it’s actually because he actually has a decent meal in him to start his day off and slept on a comfortable bed (also for once). It’s really going to suck when he has to go back home after all this and go back to sleeping on his lumpy, terrible mattress and shower with his barely-there water pressure. Maybe with his new photographer salary he’ll be getting later, he can afford a place at Ignis’s building. Certainly not the penthouse, but he’ll take anything at this point.

The first half of the day passes by without incident, but Prompto supposes it’s about time for things to turn to disaster when his phone vibrates on the desk in the middle of one of his project submissions.

** _Ignis (12:02PM): _ ** _ Prompto, there’s an emergency. Come eat lunch in my office, please? _

Prompto raises an eyebrow. Ignis can be a bit dramatic at times, but Prompto never pegged him to be  _ this  _ dramatic before. He supposes he  _ should  _ eat lunch with Ignis, considering Ignis was the one who cooked it for him, but he hadn’t really thought about it until now. Noct usually ate with him, when he had the time to eat, and sometimes Ignis would join. So he supposes this isn’t really any different.

** _Prompto (12:04PM): _ ** _ on my way dude! _

Prompto walks next door to Ignis’s office, and he half-expects Ignis to be pacing his office in some sort of panic, but instead, he finds Ignis seated, typing away on his computer.

Prompto knocks on his open door. “Where’s the fire, dude?” he announces himself.

Ignis looks up. “Oh, you’re here. Good. We have a wee bit of a problem.”

Prompto sits on top of Ignis’s desk, frowning. “What’s up?”

“Gladio’s asked us to accompany him and Noct for a double date this evening,” Ignis explains. “We’ll likely have to align our stories regarding how we started dating, and we haven’t done that yet.”

“ _ That’s _ your emergency? I thought there was, like, a serious problem.” Prompto laughs.

Ignis stops typing. “It  _ is _ an emergency. We’ve been sloppy.”

Prompto grins. “It’s just Gladio. If Noct’s with him, then it’s only a matter of time before Gladio realizes we’re full of shit anyway.”

“Regardless, we should plan, because I’d like to avoid the possibility of others finding out, as well. We leave to your father’s house tomorrow. We’ll absolutely need to convince  _ them _ .”

“Alright, alright,” Prompto says, raising his hands in defeat as he opens his lunch. “Let’s do it, then. How’d we start dating?”

Ignis hesitates, lost in thought. “Perhaps it started rather subtly…?”

Prompto laughs. “Yeah, except I’m not really a subtle kinda guy.”

Ignis raises an eyebrow. “Oh?”

“Maybe you… started cooking stuff for me…? So I started flirting with you,” Prompto says with a shrug. “Somehow, someway, it must’ve gotten you going, ‘cause you asked me to dinner, maybe?”

“I bought a bottle of wine for the occasion, after a few glasses I worked up the courage to finally kiss you,” Ignis adds. “After being infatuated with you silently for so long.” 

Prompto remembers what it was like to kiss Ignis; the way his thumb gently caressed his cheekbone as their mouths moved together and Prompto’s train of thought completely leaves the station. 

“And I was… way too into that,” Prompto laughs nervously. “I basically jumped your bones. Not that  _ he _ needs to know that.”

Ignis laughs, but it’s strained. “Perhaps not. But I was all too happy to receive you.”

Prompto’s heart starts pounding in his chest. He has no idea why Ignis thought to add  _ that _ tidbit, but now all Prompto can think of is Ignis and  _ receiving;  _ he’s practically foaming at the mouth.

So, naturally, Prompto has to make things worse.

“It  _ miiight _ have gotten a little bad when I couldn’t keep my hands off of you in the office,” Prompto teases, “so we decided to move in together, so we could have our playtime and our work time separate.” Prompto giggles, winking at Ignis, wiggling his eyebrows teasingly.

“Hmm… perhaps not  _ entirely _ separate,” Ignis teases. “We might misbehave still, now and then. We’re only human, after all.”

Really, there’s no reason why they’re getting this detailed about this. It’s not even relevant to what they have to tell  _ anyone _ to keep up appearances, but for some reason, neither of them are stopping. Maybe they’re just… having fun.

Still, Prompto should probably stop, considering the playful tone to Ignis’s voice when he talks about  _ misbehaving  _ is actually giving him half a boner right now. Prompto needs to remember to jerk off in the shower or something later. Damn, he must be strung out.

“Yeah, especially when you’re dating me. Wind me up, and I’m ready to go. Maybe that’s why we missed that deadline last week,” Prompto snorts. “I should probably stop blowing you under the desk when you’re supposed to be having business calls.”

Prompto is definitely a 100% certified Grade A goblin, this just proves it.

Ignis chokes on his food just a bit, covering his mouth as he looks over at Prompto incredulously. “Goodness, Prompto.”

Prompto shrugs with a grin. “What? Told you. Not subtle at all.”

Ignis relaxes a little, laughing with that same pained tone. “I’m starting to gather that. How long have we been on this venture, then, the two of us?”

Leave it to Iggy to get back on track, but really, all Prompto can think about is what it  _ would _ be like to blow Ignis under his desk -- the very one that he’s sitting at right now.  _ Oops _ .

“Six… months? Let’s see, we met, like, three years ago, right? Maybe we could only last six months before we had to go public,” Prompto suggests. “That way it leaves so much time for dramatic pining, like some sort of cheesy romcom.”

“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” Ignis realizes with a much less strained laugh. “Six months it is, then. That would make our anniversary…”

“September?” Prompto finishes. “September fourteenth.”

“We’ll have to memorize that date, just in case,” Ignis warns. “Don’t forget it.”

“Or I could be one of those crappy husbands that forgets anniversaries.” He laughs. “I won’t forget it, Igs. Is there anything else?”

“I can’t think of anything else. Thank you, Prompto,” Ignis says. “I may have overreacted.”

Prompto throws his head back and cackles at the understatement. He reaches out to grip Ignis’s shoulder for balance, squeezing it reassuringly. “Hey, we’ve all been there. Thanks for the lunch, dude.”

“It’s my pleasure,” Ignis says softly. “Did you enjoy it?”

“Everything you make tastes like heaven, man, of course I did,” Prompto promises. “I’m gonna keep you married to me as long as I can.”

Prompto can’t even tell if he’s kidding anymore.

“Married or not, you’re always welcome to eat with me.” Ignis pushes his glasses up to level a smile for Prompto’s sake.

Prompto notices Ignis didn’t refuse him. Well, he didn’t exactly  _ accept,  _ either. But hey -- if Ignis isn’t heading for the hills like Prompto thought he would, at least Prompto’s not being totally unbearable.

“I’m gonna take you up on that, Igster!” Prompto teases, throwing finger guns at him.

\-----

The rest of the day passes without an issue, but the closer it gets toward the end of the day --  _ dinner --  _ the more Prompto fidgets in his seat. He should be focusing on his deadlines, seeing as he won’t get to work this weekend, and fashion week is in just  _ two _ weeks (a huge deadline for the magazine). However, the only thing he can think about is whether or not he’s going to fuck this all up with Gladio. They’ve never put their fake relationship to the test in front of others for very long. Prompto supposes this is good practice for when they go to see his dad, but he still can’t help but be nervous.

Prompto pulls out his phone to text Ignis, of all people.

** _Prompto (5:02PM): _ ** _ dude why am i so nervous? _

Prompto doesn’t really expect a reply back. Ignis is always so busy, and it’s not like he makes Prompto a priority, so he’s really surprised when Ignis responds almost immediately.

** _Ignis (5:05PM): _ ** _ Remember to relax. It will be alright. _

It’s really not that deep or inspiring of a response, but for some reason Prompto finds himself smiling at it. It’s kind of nice to have Ignis through this. Sure, maybe he’d be more comfortable with Noct, but Prompto finds himself liking the confident reassurance Ignis brings to tense situations.

Prompto forgets to reply, but his phone vibrates again before he has the chance.

** _Ignis (5:06PM): _ ** _ Come see me, if you’d like. _

Prompto’s heart does another somersault, and he finds himself spending the rest of the work day cooped up in Ignis’s office, hiding from his own mind by talking to Ignis.

They tackle a few more questions off the list as they work, and in the car on the way to the restaurant where they’re meeting Gladio and Noct. At least, they  _ try _ to tackle a few more questions.

“And why do they need to know what television service I use?” Ignis asks with a snort as they wait at a table for Gladio and Noct to show up.

“I dunno! They’ll suddenly believe our marriage is a sham as soon as they realize I don’t know what company you use to DVR my favorite zombie shows,” Prompto gasps. “The horror!”

Ignis laughs. “Fair point. I have LucisCast.”

“See? Was that so hard?” Prompto teases.

“Was  _ what _ so hard?” Noct’s voice sounds in Prompto’s ears. “Don’t tell me you two are being gross  _ already.” _

Man, Noct is laying it on thick. Maybe he can’t help that Noctis is the world’s worst liar, but with Gladio next to him with a huge grin on his face, Prompto can’t help but stiffen nervously. Prompto feels Ignis’s hand on his knee, squeezing it reassuringly, and he can’t tell whether it’s for show or a reminder to  _ relax. _

Prompto tries, he really does. He settles into the booth, letting his leg touch Ignis’s, the warmth radiating off of him even through his clothes. 

“Uh,” Prompto says, completely blanking. “Not as gross as you, dude!”

_ Great, nice deflection, Prompto. _

“Noct, Gladio,” Ignis greets. “How are you two faring?” 

“Hey, Specs,” Noct says tiredly. “We’re good. Seriously, what were you guys talking about?”

Noct looks specifically at Prompto, and winks at him. Man, he really hates his best friend sometimes, and he means that with all the love in the world.

“We were deciding what to eat, of course,” Ignis lies smoothly before Prompto can panic. Thank the Astrals Ignis can think quicker than Prompto. 

“Hey Iggy, Prompto,” Gladio says, sitting down across from the two of them, slinging his arm around Noct’s shoulder. “How you guys doin’ since you went public?”

Heat floods Prompto’s cheeks, and he can’t tell if it’s because he’s nervous or if it’s because of the subject change.

“Never been better!” Prompto squeaks. “Right, Iggy?”

“Yes, we’re doing splendidly,” Ignis remarks stoically. “And yourself?”

Prompto’s grateful for the shift in subject. Obviously, something must be happening between Gladio and Noct, since Gladio seems so comfortable with physical contact. Still, if something  _ did  _ happen, Noct would have told him, so he’s unsure where their relationship stands.

“Great,” Gladio says cryptically with a wink thrown in. 

Noct, on the other hand, blushes -- one of the only times Prompto’s seen Noct blush. Prompto grins. “Aw, Noct, you’re blushing!”

Noct frowns. “No, I’m not.”

“Wouldn’t blame him if he was,” Gladio teases, knocking their shoulders together.

“I’m relieved you two are doing well,” Ignis says.

“Enough about us,” Noct teases. “Tell us  _ all  _ the adorable details of your love life, Prompto.”

Prompto frowns. “Thought you didn’t want us to be  _ gross _ .”

Noct is fucking with him, obviously, and that’s a game that Prompto has learned to play really well. It probably doesn’t help that Ignis is squeezing his leg and he’s blushing way more than he expected, so Noct’s currently winning, unfortunately.

“Nah, of course we do. You guys should kiss,” Gladio says, sounding more amused than anything else, “now that you guys are out and proud.”

“What? Why?” Prompto asks. “Isn’t that a little weird?”

Ignis stiffens next to him, only enough for Prompto to notice since their legs are touching. “I’d say that’s hardly appropriate here,” Ignis attempts.

“No one’s lookin’. C’mon, I wanna see my best friends in love!” Noct adds, a grin on his face.

Prompto kind of wishes he could shoot lasers out of his eyes. Prompto grabs Ignis’s hand for support, and Ignis squeezes it in return. Ignis’s thumb gently massages Prompto’s hand, and he knows Ignis is telling him to relax.

They’ve done this before, right? They can totally do this.

“Very well, then, Noct, if that’s what you wish,” Ignis says tiredly.

Prompto looks over at Ignis then, and their eyes lock in just enough time to make Prompto’s heart hammer in his chest. What if he freezes up again, like last night? That’s not what couples who are about to get married look like -- maybe a first date, but not  _ married  _ couples.

Ignis apparently is thinking the same thing, seeing as he takes the lead. With his free hand, he tilts Prompto’s chin upward, leaning in to press his lips softly to Prompto’s. Prompto squeezes Ignis’s hand, closing his eyes and letting himself melt into the kiss, trying to ignore how stupidly hard his heart is beating right now.

It lasts no longer than a few seconds, and it takes a second for Prompto to open his eyes after Ignis peels his lips from Prompto’s. Prompto realizes he’s squeezing a death grip into Ignis’s hand, but he can’t really help it; he doesn’t let go, either, as Ignis doesn’t force him to.

“Huh,” Gladio says after a beat of awkward silence. “That actually was pretty convincing. You owe me a hundred, Noct.”

Prompto looks over at Gladio in surprise. “Wait, what? You  _ knew?”  _

“You couldn’t expect me not to tell him,” Noct laughs. “I couldn’t stop laughing every time you guys came up in conversation.”

“How utterly juvenile,” Ignis mutters, rolling his eyes as he slides his glasses off to clean them. “I expected more from you, Gladio.”

“Hey, it’s not my fault,” Gladio says defensively, laughing harder than Prompto’s ever heard the big guy laugh. “That’s what you get when you two keep shit from me. To think I gave  _ both  _ of you the shovel talk.”

“We didn’t ask for the shovel talk!” Prompto squeaks. “What were we supposed to do, man? It wasn’t personal!” 

“I’m simply relieved it was a joke,” Ignis admits, “I was starting to think you were some sort of fetishist.”

Gladio’s responding laughter is even louder than before. “Noct and I had a bet goin’, that you guys couldn’t kiss in front of us. Noct owed me a hundred if you guys even slightly kissed convincingly, and I’d owe him if you guys refused or if it looked fake.”

“Eh, I think it looked kinda fake,” Noct admits. “Prom was sweating bullets.”

“Wait, why’d you bet in our favor?” Prompto asks curiously. Ignis glares at Prompto. “What? He’s right, I was totally freaking out.”

“Could’ve been worse,” Gladio shrugs. “Iggy looked into it.”

“He’s a better actor than I am,” Prompto whines. “I can’t fake drama, dude.”

“You better learn, blondie. You’re all blush,” Gladio teases. “So, who else do you gotta convince?”

“My dad,” Prompto whines. 

Gladio laughs. “Why don’t you just tell him the truth?”

“He’d totally kill me if he found out I was throwing away my first marriage just to do dumb shit like this,” Prompto explains. “He knows how romantic I am.” He sighs.

“I don’t wish to make things awkward between Prompto’s family,” Ignis interjects. “This is, after all,  _ my _ problem, and I do not want Prompto caught in the crossfire. The last thing I would want is to cause a strain on his family. The moment that happens, I will put an end to all of this and accept the consequences regardless.”

Prompto’s a little surprised to hear that, not because he thinks Ignis is selfish, but because the thought of Ignis getting deported due to Prompto is not an idea he wants to entertain. In fact, it’s a little scary how much Prompto wants him to stay. Ignis gently entertaining the idea of him leaving forever makes him extremely nervous.

Prompto frowns. “Wh--” he starts to say, not sure how to proceed. “I get a say in this, Iggy. I’m not letting you get  _ deported.” _

Prompto completely forgot that Ignis was still holding his hand until he feels Ignis squeeze it reassuringly. The gesture puts an involuntary smile on Prompto’s face.

“Look, I’m sure if you explain it to Prom’s dad, he’d understand,” Noct says. “Worst case scenario, I mean.”

“What are you saying?” Ignis wonders.

“I’m sayin’ fake it, and if you can’t, then just come clean. Prom doesn’t want you to go,” Noct points out, “and none of us do, either. We got your back, Specs.”

“Yeah. No need to lie to us, Iggy,” Gladio says. “It’s gonna be alright.”

“Yeah,” Prompto agrees determinedly, “it will.”

Ignis sighs gently, relaxing. Prompto decides that it’s his turn to reassure, massaging Ignis’s hand with his thumb the way he felt Ignis do earlier. Ignis doesn’t pull away or react much, but Prompto swears he feels Ignis lean into him. That  _ totally _ must be his imagination.

“Thank you, the lot of you,” Ignis says, voice filled with emotion. “I’m not certain what I’d do without you.”

“You’d be a mess, let’s be real,” Gladio laughs. He turns his attention to Prompto. “So, blondie, if you guys aren’t actually together, why’d you freak out when I told you Iggy and I used to date?”

“ _ Gladio,” _ Ignis scolds. “That’s quite enough. Prompto’s had a rather trying day.”

Prompto chews on his bottom lip, a little proud to have Ignis defending him. “I just didn’t know. I thought you were gonna kill me.” Sure, it’s a lie, but who cares?

Gladio finds this hilarious. “That’s why? I thought you were gonna try to kick  _ mine _ once I told you. It was kinda cute.”

Prompto flushes, as per usual, and levels a glare at Gladio. “No way! I was just surprised!” 

Noct snorts. “You’re blushin’ this time, Prom.”

Prompto dramatically puts a hand on his cheeks. “Shut up.”

“You know, you guys actually do make a cute couple though. It’s a shame it’s a sham,” Gladio adds with a laugh as he takes a drink.

Well, so much for getting rid of Prompto’s blush. 

“That’s enough,” Ignis decides before Prompto can fire back a witty response. “May we stop torturing each other now, and eat?” 

Prompto lets out a breath he had no idea he was holding until now. “Gods, that sounds amazing.”

They finally let go of each other’s hands so that they can eat, and it feels weird without vice-gripping Ignis’s hand, which is a thought that Prompto would have never expected to have. 

The rest of the ‘date’ goes pretty well, Prompto has to admit. Noct and Prompto fall back into their old routine, and there’s a familiarity between Iggy and Gladio that Prompto can recognize now that he knows their history. Prompto doesn’t feel weird about that, not at all -- he swears.

It isn’t until they’re driving back to Ignis’s place when Prompto feels like something is off. Ignis keeps the radio off, but he’s completely silent, focusing only on the road. It’s not like a normal silence between the two of them, however. It’s uncomfortable to Prompto; charged.

“Um… is everything okay, Iggy?” Prompto asks, chewing on his bottom lip again. At this rate, he’ll chew through his lip for sure. 

“Yes, I’m fine,” Ignis says, but it’s through his teeth, and as he pulls into his apartment building, he doesn’t press it further. 

It’s not fine, though, and as they walk into his apartment, Prompto’s going through the entire date in his head, wondering if there was anything he could’ve possibly said that would have accidentally upset Ignis.

“Actually,” Ignis declares as soon as he puts his car keys away, “may I ask you something, Prompto?”

Gods, Prompto really wishes he wouldn’t ask him like that. It creates a nervous response where Prompto assumes the absolute  _ worst.  _ Words like, ‘Get out of my house, Prompto’ or ‘I’m choosing someone else for this, Prompto’ run through his head no matter how irrational he knows those thoughts are.

“Yeah. Did I do something wrong?” Prompto can’t help but ask.

“Heavens, no,” Ignis assures him. “But I do need to know… are you really certain about this, Prompto? Once we leave tomorrow, it will be a lot more difficult for us to undo things that have been done. I can’t continue with this without knowing that this is something you’re alright with.”

Prompto frowns. He wonders why Ignis is worried about this; he’s done nothing but fully cooperate with him so far. Hell, he’s practically moved into Ignis’s place temporarily. 

“Yeah! Of course I’m sure about this!” Prompto insists. “I wanna help you. It’s gonna be okay, Iggy. This is a serious thing we’re talking about here.”

“Yes, but this is hardly your problem, as you pointed out yesterday,” Ignis says. “Gladio’s point made me realize that perhaps I’m making this more complicated than necessary. I’m afraid that I’m taking advantage of you. I’m afraid that--”

“No, stop. Just ‘cause you  _ can _ , doesn’t mean you  _ have  _ to do this alone. And I wanna help, and I’m here for you. And I’m totally sure about this, dude. We’re in this, okay? We’re a team, right? It’s no biggie! We got this,” Prompto promises. “You gotta learn to let people help you.”

A smile teases the corner of Ignis’s lips. “I’m unfamiliar with the concept.”

“Well, you’re gonna learn,” Prompto teases. “Also, get over here, we totally didn’t take a selfie today and we’re wearing different clothes.”

Ignis laughs gently. “You have interesting priorities.”

“Hey, man, this is serious,” Prompto decides solemnly, holding his phone out with the camera on. “It’s not every day that you get a new husband.”

“I suppose you’re right about that,” Ignis says. “I’ll kiss you this time.”

The words light a fire in Prompto’s heart, and tingle delicately along his nerves. Prompto puts on his best smile as Ignis presses his lips to his cheek, still so soft. His grin is wide as he takes several shots, shutter noises filling the room.

Prompto whimpers dramatically when he starts going through the photos. “Oh, man, these are even better than yesterday’s.”

Ignis chuckles. “Thank you, Prompto.” He’s definitely not talking about the selfies, Prompto realizes a bit too late. “You’re far kinder than I deserve.”

Prompto leans into Ignis teasingly before he pulls away. “Stop that. This is the most fun I’ve had in years.”

Prompto takes a picture of Ignis’s responding smile; he can’t help it, it’s  _ beautiful. _


	6. Chapter 6

“You know, if you keep bouncing around like this, you’ll be asleep by the time we even reach Lestallum,” Ignis warns, taking several drinks of Ebony as they make their way out of the Insomnia city limits.

“I can’t help it,” Prompto whines. “I’m nervous. It’s not like I take people home to meet the family often, y’know? Especially not since I left.”

“Why not? Surely, you’ve dated others…?” Ignis asks.

Once they’re outside the crown city, Prompto notices that the distance they gain from Insomnia, the more the landscape alters; cliffs start forming and the ground gets a bit rockier. Prompto’s only been to Leide a few times, but he’ll never forget the dry heat.

“Yeah, kind of,” Prompto says awkwardly, snapping a few photos of the changing landscape. “Nothing you’d wanna bring home to your family.” He snorts awkwardly.

So, maybe he’s had a few interesting relationship choices, if you could call them that. It’s not his fault that Prompto’s so touch-starved he’ll give affection to anyone who gives him attention. And, well, orgasms? Those are nice, too. Dating apps are at least good for  _ that. _

“Ah,” Ignis realizes. “Do you… often...”

Prompto laughs. It’s not often Ignis Scientia is at a loss for words, and Prompto’s kind of honored he’s reduced him to that state. “Kind of? Not really. I mean, I used to a lot more. Guess I get kinda lonely, y’know? Work’s been so hectic lately I only really hang out with Noct outside of work. Well, in extension, sometimes you and Gladio, too. Now that we’re doin’  _ this _ it’s not like it matters anyway. Even if I had the time, I can’t exactly give off the impression that I’m interested in other people when we’re supposed to be married.” He laughs. 

Ignis doesn’t respond immediately, gripping the steering wheel tighter with one hand while the other brings his can of Ebony to his lips. Prompto snaps a photo of him. Ignis looks over, an eyebrow raised, before he returns his attention to the road. “I do apologize for the inconvenience, no matter how long it will last.”

“No inconvenience! I guess I can’t get lonely if you’re around all the time.”  _ Shit. _ Did he say that out loud?

Ignis’s lip twitches as if he’s wanting to smile, but reigns it in. The lines around his eyes are tight. Something must be bothering him, but Prompto can’t figure out what. Maybe Prompto talking about this made him uncomfortable?  _ Astrals _ . “Yes, I suppose that’s true. But there’s other matters at hand that I cannot give you… such as…”

Prompto grins. “Are you talkin’ about sex, Iggy?” he teases. 

Ignis frowns despite the light pink color that his cheeks turn to. “Well, now that you mention it, yes, including that.”

Prompto elbows him playfully. “I mean, it’s not like I’ve had any recently. Jeez, it’s been, like, six months?” He laughs. “How sad. But, y’know, it’s not like I can’t take care of myself.”

“I realize that,” Ignis says defensively, “but I did wish to tell you -- if there’s anything  _ I _ can do for you, do let me know. You are doing a tremendous favor for me, and I’m here for you, as well.”

Prompto squints, heart hammering. Maybe Prompto is a goblin for sure, but he definitely thinks Ignis is offering sexual favors for him. If he’s wrong about that, though, it’s not like he can go and  _ ask.  _ “Oh, uh. Wait, what? Are you offering…?”

Ignis’s cheeks are even redder now, and he reaches for his can of Ebony as some sort of coping mechanism. “Yes, I am. If it isn’t something you’re interested in, please forget I’ve said anything.”

Oh,  _ Gods. _ The last thing Prompto wants is for Ignis to feel self-conscious about any of this. If he’s honest, he’d probably take Ignis up on that offer if he wasn’t so damn scared. Prompto’s never really been scared about this part of things, so what’s the big deal? It’s not like they couldn’t have fun. Prompto looks over at Ignis’s profile as he drives, the soft pout of his cupid’s bow lips, the sharp point of his nose, his jawline for days; they could have a  _ lot _ of fun.

“I’m… wow, Iggy, that’s real nice of you,” Prompto manages to squeak out. “You don’t gotta… do that, though. But, uh, thanks, dude.”

Why does he manage to say the exact  _ opposite _ of what he wants?  _ Way to go, Prompto.  _

Ignis pushes his glasses up his nose, readjusting his grip on the steering wheel. “Don’t mention it.” He looks like he means it. Oops.

“But, um, same goes for me, man. Anything you want, I’m down. Well, like, not like  _ that _ but… willing, maybe. Uh? Yeah.” Prompto winces. He’s a disaster. “Sorry, this is awkward.”

Ignis, despite himself, starts to smile. Prompto doesn’t blame him; if anything could shatter a tense conversation, it’s Prompto’s ridiculousness. “Perhaps only slightly,” he says teasingly. “But thank you, Prompto.”

_ Well, thank Gods that’s over with. _ Hopefully, Prompto won’t spend the next four hours in this car thinking about Ignis’s offer, but knowing himself, he definitely will.

“So, uh…” Prompto starts, bouncing in his seat again, “how are you holding up, Iggy? Are you nervous?”

Ignis seems grateful for the subject change as well. “Somewhat,” he admits. “Though, if your family resembles you even slightly, I’d say I’d have very little to be nervous about.”

Prompto smiles, honored by the compliment. He’s a little sad he has to tell Ignis the truth about it. “Well, unfortunately, they’re not really like me. I mean, they’re great, but I’m kinda the softie of the family.” He laughs. “I’m sure they’ll like you, though.”

“I can only hope to impress. I’ve never met in-laws before.” Ignis smiles.

“Yeah? Never been married, huh?” Prompto teases.

“Decidedly not.”

“Forreal, though, what about your love life?” Prompto asks. “I mean, I know about Gladio, but… what else?”

“I’m afraid there’s not much to tell,” Ignis says. “Between most of my life dedicated to work and friendships with you lot, my love life seems to have taken the lowest priority.”

Prompto can relate, a little bit. It’s hard to find decent people, especially when they’re all so busy. Ignis is even busier than Prompto is. Still, he wonders if Ignis  _ wants _ that. He wonders if Ignis… thinks about anyone at night. Prompto tries not to make himself weirdly jealous again at the thought, but fails.

“Is that what you want…?” Prompto asks, nosy as ever.

“I’ve been thinking about that quite recently,” Ignis admits, “and I’m not certain, if I’m honest. I certainly wouldn’t mind otherwise, if the right person came into my life.”

“Just haven’t found it yet, huh?” Prompto asks, hoping he doesn’t sound too invested.

“Not… entirely, no,” Ignis says, something off about his tone that he can’t quite figure out yet. “And yourself? You enjoy relationships, do you not? Outside of your… casual affairs?”

“Yeah, dude. I’m a huge romantic. Just gotta find someone who… wants all that, I guess,” Prompto says. He laughs. “Guess that makes me the romantic of the relationship, huh?”

Ignis smiles. “Now, now. I have my moments.”

Prompto grins, leaning over to take a selfie of the two of them. “Yeah. I could see that. You’re  _ reaaaal _ charming.” His tone sounds way more sincere than he planned it, but oh well; it’s not like it isn’t the truth.

Ignis’s smile turns a bit sheepish, pink coloring his cheeks. Prompto would have never pegged him for an easy blusher, but Ignis continues to surprise him. “Nonsense,” Ignis says gently after composing himself.

Prompto has to admit that this road trip isn’t nearly as awkward as Prompto expected, aside from their awkward sex talk, but that was bound to be weird with  _ anyone.  _ They travel through Leide with ease, stopping for lunch as soon as they hit the Duscae region. It’s so rarely that Prompto travels, except for work here and there (which isn’t very often), so Prompto has nearly half a memory card filled with photos already, and he’s not even close to having his fill. He even takes dozens of photos of Ignis, hidden under the ruse that he’d need them as picture proof (literally) of their affection for each other. Some of the selfies are too cute to pass up; Prompto uploads them to Lucisgram while they eat.

It’s nice, spending time like this. He’s never gotten (or wanted, really) one-on-one time with Ignis, but now that he knows what it’s like, he doesn’t really want to go without it. He hopes that after this is all over, Ignis will want to spend time with him when he doesn’t  _ have _ to. Prompto worries that maybe Ignis is only dealing with him because he has to. He shoves those thoughts to the side, not wanting to deal with them right now.

With their arrival in Duscae, the rocky terrain of Leide fades in favor of grass and wetlands. He’s happy Ignis rolled down the windows so Prompto can breathe in the fresh air. He closes his eyes for a moment, smiling. It’s so different from Insomnia out here.

“We’re making excellent time,” Ignis notes after a few minutes of silence. They’d been going down the list of interview questions really well, until they decided to take a break in favor of listening to the patch of rain they’d driven through. “How are you feeling, Prompto?”

“Still a little nervous,” Prompto admits. “But we got this, right?”

“Indeed. It will be fine, I’m certain of it,” Ignis reassures him. “You seem happy, I’ve noticed.”

“Yeah?” Prompto asks, scratching the top of his head. “I dunno, I guess it’s nice to get away from the city.”

“It certainly is peaceful out here.”

“How’re you hanging in there? I mean, I know you have more important things to do…” Prompto laughs.

“I’m enjoying myself as well, actually. I find myself enjoying your company.” Ignis smiles gently at him.

Prompto’s heart floods with affection. His big fat crush on Ignis really isn’t getting any better; Ignis could say anything and Prompto would constantly read too much into it. Prompto can’t help but smile back, though; nothing could stop him from smiling right now.

“Me, too. It’s nice spending time with you outside of an office,” Prompto admits. “We should do this more, y’know? Maybe with Noct and Gladio sometime. Just take a huge road trip like this.”

“There’s a thought,” Ignis agrees. “That would be fun. I certainly don’t mind just the two of us, however.”

Prompto’s heart thuds.  _ Don’t read too much into that. _ He could say that to anyone. Spending time alone doesn’t mean  _ anything. _ Except it  _ does, _ when you have a heartbreaking crush on someone. He’s got this. He’s had so many one-sided crushes before, he can do it again, no biggie. What’s another to add to the list?

“I-I don’t either,” Prompto stammers. “That sounds really awesome.”

If Ignis notices Prompto’s mini breakdown, he doesn’t indicate it. “Now that we’re nearing Lestallum, is there anything I should know about your family before we arrive?” Ignis asks. “I don’t want to accidentally step on toes.”

“Nah. My foster dad’s big on the whole respect thing, and I can’t see you being impolite, so… I’d say you’re good.”

“Is hunting all your father does?”

“Yep. A lot of people are intimidated by him, ‘cause he can be tough. But he’s actually a huge softie deep down. Maybe that’s where I get it from.” Prompto laughs. 

“That’s a rather demanding job. Is he retired?”

“ _ Cor? _ Gods, no. I don’t think he’ll ever retire, it’d drive him up the wall. He wears his nickname  _ the Immortal _ proudly.” Prompto laughs. “I think he’s still licking his wounds after he realized that I wasn’t really cut out for the hunter life.”

“You’ve hunted before?” Ignis sounds curious for once; Prompto’s glad he isn’t the only one that’s a little nosy. He likes the attention from him, though.

“Yeah, tons of times. My dad taught me how to shoot and everything. My sister Aranea’s a badass too, so I’ve also learned tons of stuff from her.”

“I see. The very same sister who threatened my life if I were to hurt you?” Ignis laughs. “Is she a hunter as well?”

Prompto snorts. “Yeah, she’s the one. But she hunts off and on. Part time, I guess. She’s also a bartender, but I think she just likes doing that. She spends some time at the Lestallum power plant, too. She’s kinda all over the place. She’s good like that.” Prompto shrugs. “I told her we were comin’, so you’ll get to meet her after she’s done kicking my ass for being outta town for so long.”

“She sounds quite efficient.” Ignis smiles. “I shall do my best to protect you.”

“Aww, best husband ever!” Prompto cheers, ignoring the way his heart pounds. “Speaking of which, uh… I guess I should warn you, um… I used to complain about work a lot. And since we worked together a lot…”

Ignis smirks, seeming to take the hint. “You’ve complained about me to your family?”

Prompto bites his lip. “Maybe a little?” he offers sheepishly. “Like, nothing too bad, just… complaining about how much work you made me do. And that you were a robot.”

Instead of taking offense like Prompto expects, Ignis barks out a laugh. “A robot?”

“Yeah, y’know, no emotions, no  _ soul… _ Soulless robot was kind of a working nickname for you.” Prompto winces, checking Ignis’s expression.

“I see.” Ignis looks over at Prompto with amusement. “You do realize I had to do the same workload as you, correct? I wasn’t passing it on to you.”

“Yeeeeah. Sorry, dude. I didn’t know you super well at the time, and uh, well. Guess it was easier to have someone to blame.” He shrugs. “I’m sure you had tons of interesting things to say about me.”

Ignis’s brow furrows, considering this. “No, actually. I’ve always found you rather amusing if anything, though at first I did have my doubts as to your ability to do work, considering your personality.”

Prompto’s jaw drops. “Hey! What does that mean?”

“I mean little offense. You seemed… a bit like Noct, if you will. Not that Noctis is  _ incapable _ of work, but, as you know, sometimes it takes a bit of convincing.” Ignis laughs. “You needn’t worry, you proved me wrong in record time. I felt a bit badly for thinking that way about you, but I never got the chance to bring it up again.”

“Yeah, that makes sense. Guess we’re even, huh?” Prompto attempts.

“Hardly. Soulless robot?” Ignis reminds him. 

“Sorry! I mean, at least I warned you before my dad starts asking why the heck we’re dating now.”

“I suppose that’s true,” Ignis allows. “I’ll be on my best non-robotic behavior then.” His lips turn up into a smirk, and Prompto realizes the tease.

“You’re teasing me again, aren’t you?”

“Yes. It’s far too fun.”

Prompto groans. “I don’t need to remind you that I know how to use a gun…?”

Ignis grins beautifully. “Threatening your fiancé’s life already? My, my.” Ignis throws him a wink. “About that; what was it that made you realize you didn’t want to continue working as a hunter?” 

Prompto shrugs, laughing a little. “Don’t worry, you’re safe… for now.” Prompto smiles back. “I mean, I can hold my own, but it’s just not really been my thing. I could always do it if it were an emergency and stuff, but... photography’s been, like, my number one, y’know? Kinda hard to do that with a gun in my hand, though I did try it a few times.”

“I would imagine.” Ignis chuckles. “You really do like photography, don’t you?”

He nods. “Yep! I have all my life.”

“From what I’ve seen on your Lucisgram and the like, your photographs would look exquisite in  _ Glaive _ , I must admit. You’d be a better fit than anyone.”

Prompto looks over at Ignis in surprise. He doesn’t look like he’s joking at all, a gentle look in his eyes despite having to focus on the road.

“Wow, thanks, Iggy.” He sighs. “I hold onto the hope.”

“After fashion week, we’ll talk to Regis and the photography department. I will see to it you get the recognition you deserve,” Ignis promises.

Prompto bites his lip. “That is if my dad doesn’t kill me first.”

Ignis can’t bite back his smile. “Perhaps a bit dramatic, Prompto.”

Prompto smiles, happy Ignis can easily play his game. “What about you? Is magazine editing what you’re passionate about, Igster?”

Ignis considers this. “Well, I’m certainly  _ good _ at it, to a certain extent. I like heavy workloads, and I truly do love organizing our magazine the way that I do. It’s given me a lot of opportunities, and I can’t complain.”

“Yeah, but, like, is that what you’ve always wanted to do?”

“Truthfully? I thought about book publishing for a while, an editor, what have you,” Ignis murmurs. “Regis gave me this job to build up my résumé, and the rest has been history.”

“A book editor? You’d be super great at that, Igs. I’d be happy to see you doing anything that makes you happy,” Prompto says, the words coming out way cheesier than he intended.

Ignis meets his eyes for the briefest moment, appearing a bit touched. “That’s very kind of you to say, Prompto.”

They get to Lestallum quicker than Prompto expects; it’s early afternoon, when the city will be the hottest. Prompto’s glad he wore a tank top for this; he doesn’t often get to anymore given the office’s requirement for business attire. He hopes Ignis will be alright, but at least he swapped his usual formal wear for a gray, collared polo shirt that hugs his torso nicely.

Prompto’s old house is tucked in the outskirts of Lestallum, within walking distance of the main city, back behind the Leville hotel. It’s fairly modest, but big enough to have raised Prompto and Aranea with some space to spare. Cor bought it upfront with his hunting wages.

Prompto never thought he’d be so nervous standing in the doorway to the place.

“Remember, Prompto,” Ignis whispers, leaning into Prompto’s space, “relax. Everything will be fine.”

“Yeah,” Prompto whispers back nervously, more for himself than Ignis. “Yeah.”

“Would you care to hold my hand?”

Prompto clings to the question like a lifeline. He doesn’t even answer Ignis with words; he reaches out to grip Ignis’s hand, tangling their fingers together timidly. Ignis squeezes Prompto’s hand reassuringly. Prompto relaxes a bit as he feels the warmth of it.

“Thanks,” Prompto whispers as soon as Cor opens the door.

Prompto’s father looks just the same as usual, maybe a little more tired than normal, some bags under his piercing blue eyes. Cor looks at Prompto with a solemn expression before smiling a little.

“Prompto,” Cor greets. “You gonna give your old man a hug, or what?”

Prompto grins, feeling himself relax a little now that he knows his dad won’t  _ immediately _ ream him out for the lack of contact lately.

“Hey, Dad,” Prompto sighs, letting go of Ignis’s hand to bury himself in Cor’s arms. It’s nice to hug his dad again, despite his nerves. He really needs to try to come home more often. “Sorry it’s been so long.”

Cor pats his back a few times. “Just don’t make a habit of it, you hear?”

Prompto pulls away, immediately reaching for Ignis’s hand as soon as he can. If Ignis minds, he doesn’t do anything to indicate it, his thumb absentmindedly drawing soothing circles against the back of Prompto’s hand. Prompto looks over at Ignis, and his expression is unreadable. With Prompto’s attention to him, Cor’s comes as well, a curious look coming across his father’s face.

“So, Dad... this is Ignis,” Prompto says nervously. “I’ve wanted you to meet him for a while now, but we’ve been so busy.”

“Good afternoon, Mr. Leonis,” Ignis says gracefully. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet your acquaintance. I’ve heard nothing but wonderful things.”

Cor looks at Ignis for a long time, his expression guarded. He holds his hand out for Ignis to shake, finally. Prompto squeezes Ignis’s free hand as Ignis shakes Cor’s hand with the other. “Ignis,” Cor acknowledges. “You can call me Cor. I’ve certainly heard a lot about you.”

Prompto winces. Of course Cor wouldn’t forget the colorful phrases Prompto used to describe Ignis from time to time whenever endless workloads and deadlines were involved. He’s still glad he never used any insults that were  _ too _ bad, but it got the message across nonetheless. He’s sure it’s a bit confusing to go from hearing Prompto’s endless whining about Ignis to Ignis standing next to him in a romantic context, in his father’s defense.

“ _ Dad _ ,” Prompto groans.

Ignis, bless his heart, dodges the accusation neatly and lets it slide off of him easily. “Of that I have no doubt.” Ignis chuckles. “I’m rather eager to provide an alternate impression of myself.”

“You two still work together?” Cor asks.

“We do, indeed,” Ignis answers obediently.

“You’re not his boss, though, right?” Cor checks, his eyes slightly narrowed.

“ _ Dad!”  _ Prompto whines again. “He’s  _ not _ my boss.”

“We work under the same department, so we are co-editors, in a sense,” Ignis explains. “I am not Prompto’s superior, don’t fret.”

Cor seems satisfied with his answer, expression returning to normal. “Well, come on in, you two. Your sister’s brought someone over to meet as well, so they’re helping me with dinner for all of us.”

Prompto follows his father inside, Ignis’s hand still locked with his own. He’s not so sure if it’s for his benefit or Ignis’s anymore, but he doesn’t want to let go of the reassuring warmth of Ignis’s hand.

Prompto also remembers that Cor, while he held his own, was never one for cooking. Prompto looks over at Ignis. “Iggy’s an amazing cook,” Prompto gushes. “Do you need any help?”

“I’m sure they could use all the help they can get,” Cor says with a laugh.

“I’d be happy to lend a hand,” Ignis agrees. “Show me the way, darling?”

Before Prompto can freak out about the casual pet name that he’ll definitely have to get used to this whole weekend, Prompto looks over to find his sister standing just outside the kitchen, hand on her hip. She’s wearing her usual leather jacket, t-shirt, and combat boots combination -- looking very Aranea -- Prompto’s glad not much has changed.

“Is that my little bro I see? I must be dreaming,” Aranea drawls, smiling despite the sarcasm.

“‘Nea!” Prompto shouts. He lets go of Ignis’s hand to run toward her, pulling her into a hug. “It’s so good to see you, dude.”

Aranea laughs. “Hey, shortcake. How long you staying?”

“Just the weekend,” Prompto sighs. “Got some big news for you guys.” He laughs nervously.

“Oh, yeah?” Aranea teases as she looks over Prompto’s shoulder. “So, let’s meet him, huh? What’s your name?”

Prompto hadn’t realized Ignis had joined them. Prompto reaches out to grip Ignis’s hand again, and Prompto sees the tiniest twitch of Ignis’s lips, as if he’s trying not to smile.

“Sorry, crap, totally forgot. This is Ignis,” Prompto introduces them. “Ignis, my sister, Aranea.”

“A pleasure to meet you. I’ve heard wonderful things,” Ignis says, shaking Aranea’s hand.

Aranea grins. “Oh, yeah, me too.”

Prompto whines. “‘Nea…”

Ignis chuckles. “As I’ve heard.” He looks at Prompto with a soft amusement before returning his gaze to Aranea. “We thought we’d lend a hand with supper, if you’d like.”

Aranea snorts. “Sounds great. I think my girlfriend’s a bit better with cars than cooking.”

Prompto’s eyes widen as he follows Aranea into the kitchen. “Girlfriend?!” Prompto gasps. “Where?”

Prompto sees just who Aranea is talking about as soon as they’re in the kitchen. He sees a bundle of blonde curls bent over the stove, cursing under her breath as she tries to stir something despite the pot currently smoking. Aranea wraps her arms around the woman from behind, taking her by surprise as she presses a light kiss to the back of her neck just above the flannel button-up she’s wearing.

“Babe,” Aranea teases, “I think you’ve got it up a little too high.”

“Dammit, you’re prob’ly right,” she says with a giggle. “I ain’t never got the hang of this cookin’ stuff.”

The woman spins around in Aranea’s arms, finally realizing that Aranea isn’t the only one here. Her pretty green eyes twinkle as they fall on Prompto, her lips spreading into a beautiful grin. She’s got freckles not unlike Prompto’s, although she wears them way better than Prompto ever could.

“You must be Prompto!” she greets, stepping forward to pull Prompto into a friendly hug. “I recognize you from all the photos. S’nice to finally meet y’all.”

“Heyyyy, uh…” Prompto trails off, embarrassed that he doesn’t know Aranea’s girlfriend’s name.

She giggles despite this. “Cindy,” she supplies, separating herself from Prompto. “I’m ‘Nea’s girlfriend, of course. Guess she was right about you not keepin’ in contact.”

Prompto flushes, embarrassment flooding through him. “Y-yeah, been a little busy. Sorry, Aranea.”

“Ain’t that the truth! And who’s this tall glass of water?” Cindy asks, turning her attention to Ignis.

“My boyfriend, Ignis,” Prompto explains, not yet working up the courage to use ‘fiancé’ until he’s made the announcement to Cor.

“A pleasure to meet you, as well, Cindy,” Ignis says, still smiling a little.

Cindy smiles. “Hey there, Ignis. Aren’t you two ‘bout as cute as a button?”

Prompto chews on his bottom lip, trying hard not to redden his flush and probably failing miserably. “Right back atcha! Didn’t know my sis could snatch someone like you up.”

Aranea steps forward to tug on Prompto’s hair. “Hey, watch it, blondie.”

Prompto squeaks, sidestepping her to press himself against Ignis for protection. Ignis smoothly wraps his arm around Prompto, holding him close. Despite it being all for show, Prompto sighs wistfully at the warmth it brings. If there’s one thing this is going to teach him, it feels  _ really _ good to be in Ignis’s arms.

Ignis clears his throat. “Now, now, you two are as charming as ever.” He smiles. “Won’t you allow me to help…?” He nods toward the mess on the stove.

“Be my guest. I clearly ain’t,” Cindy says with a laugh.

“Nonsense, Cindy. I highly doubt you’ve done anything wrong,” Ignis says.

“I can’t cook either,” Prompto admits with a laugh. “Iggy’s a lifesaver in the kitchen. He’s got this.”

“Aren’t you sweet, love?” Ignis teases. 

Prompto feels warmth on the top of his head, and realizes it’s Ignis’s lips, kissing him. Prompto’s heart thuds as he leans into the touch, just about to pull him closer when Ignis leans back, disentangling himself from Prompto to continue where Cindy left off on the stove.

Prompto nearly whines. He almost forgot this wasn’t real for a moment.

“Aww, that’s real sweet,” Cindy coos at them.

“Well, I’m glad  _ someone _ is feeding you. You’re gettin’ kinda skinny, shortcake. You been eating?” Aranea asks worriedly.

“Of course I have!” Prompto squeaks defensively.

“Darling, we mustn’t lie,” Ignis says over his shoulder as he turns several of the burners down in temperature. “You needn’t worry, Aranea, I’ve got him eating all the proper meals.”

Prompto’s cheeks heat up at being the center of attention. “I guess that’s true. Iggy pretty much cooks everything. I gotta learn to keep up or he’s gonna dump me for sure.”

Ignis laughs from the stove. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

“Of course not,” Cindy says. “Ya just gotta find different ways t’make it up to him.”

“Speaking from experience, babe?” Aranea laughs.

Cindy giggles. “Y’might be right ‘bout that.”

Prompto watches Aranea peck Cindy on the lips sweetly, arms sliding around her and Prompto suddenly feels the need to overcompensate. Prompto walks over to the stove, wrapping his arms around Ignis from behind. Ignis stiffens for a moment before relaxing, leaning into Prompto’s touch.

“Something the matter, love?” Ignis asks, voice lower for Prompto’s benefit.

“Nope. Just…  _ makin’ _ it up to you,” Prompto teases.

“Well, I certainly won’t complain.” 

Prompto can’t tell if he’s kidding or not. Prompto laughs nervously as he holds Ignis, standing up on the balls of his feet so he can kiss the back of Ignis’s neck before resting his head against Ignis’s back. Ignis doesn’t say anything, and makes no move to push him away, so Prompto assumes this is okay for now.

“Is dinner salvageable?” Prompto asks with another laugh.

“Actually, no permanent damage seems to be done. Cindy’s done just fine, as I suspected,” Ignis announces.

Aranea laughs from behind them. “Good job, babe. You saved the day.”

Cindy snorts. “I’m not so sure ‘bout that, but I’m glad y’all showed up when ya did.”

“Don’t thank me,” Prompto murmurs against Ignis’s back. “I’m useless.”

Ignis chuckles, the deep timbre of his voice echoing through him, raising goosebumps on Prompto’s skin where he’s touching Ignis. The man really has the nicest voice. “I wouldn’t say that. You’re being  _ very _ helpful right now,” Ignis purrs. Prompto can’t see his face from behind, but he definitely hears that teasing smirk in his voice.

Prompto has to remind himself at least three times that the flirtation is just for show, but Prompto definitely can’t help the way he grins, heart hammering in his chest at it.

“Oh, yeah?” Prompto whispers, surprised his voice doesn’t shake. He can’t help but tighten his grip around Ignis’s waist from behind, earning a soft chuckle from Ignis again, much to Prompto’s delight.

Aranea’s snicker fills his ears. “Alright, alright, we get the picture. If you two have got this, we’ll go hang out with Dad before you two get any more disgusting.”

Prompto laughs. At least they’re convincing enough to gross out his sister. 

“Aww, don’t be like that, ‘Nea,” Cindy says sweetly. “I think they’re  _ real _ adorable. So nice seein’ people in love, ain’t it?”

“Sure, babe. As long as I don’t gotta deal with my little brother’s PDA. Let us know when dinner’s ready, huh, shortcake?”

“You got it, ‘Nea,” Prompto calls. “Nice to meet you, Cindy.”

“You’re too kind, Cindy. See you both in a bit,” Ignis calls out as he stirs whatever is in the pot -- looks like pasta.

As soon as they leave, Prompto realizes he doesn’t need to hold Ignis like this anymore, but he wants to, so badly. Prompto lets his hands slide off of Ignis, sighing as he does it, finally stepping away from him.

“You’ve gotten far better with affection this time,” Ignis whispers. “I’m quite proud of you.”

Prompto laughs nervously. “Thanks. Guess I got so nervous it backfired and it made me bold.”

“Well, we’ll take what we can get,” Ignis teases. “Will you gather some plates while I stir this, please? I’m uncertain where you keep them.”

“Sure, Igs,” Prompto says. He gets five plates from the cupboard and silverware to match. “It is kinda nice, though.”

There’s silence for half a beat too long, and of course, Prompto notices; it feels like an eternity. “What is?” Ignis asks, tone unreadable.

“I just mean, like, holding someone’s hand when you’re nervous is pretty nice,” Prompto says awkwardly. “I’m not trying to be creepy.”

Ignis starts serving out portions onto plates. “Prompto, I don’t find you creepy whatsoever, as I’ve told you.” He looks over at Prompto, a soft angelic smile playing at his lips reassuringly. “You may touch me at any time, should you desire it.”

Ignis sounds so genuine, it’s impossible for Prompto not to believe him. Prompto relaxes a little, and smiles back at Ignis. “Oh, Gods. I thought I creeped you out.”

“I highly doubt such a thing would be possible,” Ignis promises. “You’re quite insecure, aren’t you?”

Prompto bites his lip. “Maybe a little bit. Are you doing okay? I know this is… a lot.”

“Your family is charming, Prompto. I’ve not a complaint in the world.”

Prompto wants to jump up and down with joy, or possibly crush himself into Ignis’s arms, but instead he settles for finger guns. “Happy to entertain, Iggy!”

Ignis smiles at the gesture. “It appears supper is ready. Shall we, then?”

“You got it.”

Cor seems surprised when Prompto and Ignis emerge with plates. It seems as though Cor was fully anticipating on ordering takeout from the marketplace as a backup in case of emergency.

“You saved it, I’m impressed,” Cor announces as they set the table. 

“It was truly nothing,” Ignis insists.

Cindy laughs as she sits down next to Aranea. “Y’all got  _ no _ faith.”

“Cindy, I’d pay you top dollar to fix anything on wheels, but when it comes to cooking, you’re even worse than I am,” Cor teases affectionately as he sits next to her at the head of the table. Apparently, Cindy’s been around for a while. Prompto feels kind of guilty for not knowing.

Prompto sits next to Cor, pulling the chair out next to him for Ignis to take, which Ignis looks grateful for. It’s weird seeing Ignis sit next to his sister -- Prompto never thought that would happen in a million years.

“She managed quite well.” Ignis smiles as he sits. “You’re a mechanic, Cindy?” 

Cindy puts down her fork as her eyes light up with excitement. “That I am! Since I was able to walk, pretty much. I work over in Leide, at my Paw Paw’s garage, Hammerhead.”

“That’s quite a distance from Lestallum,” Ignis observes.

“It sure is, Ignis! I got somethin’ to keep me comin’ here, though,” Cindy says, throwing an affectionate glance toward Aranea.

Aranea puts her hand on Cindy’s knee. “Like I don’t head over to Hammerhead every chance I get to see you while you work.”

“H-how’d you two meet?” Prompto asks, trying to ignore the guilt he feels for being away so long. “If you guys live so far away?”

“Oh, us?” Cindy giggles. “This cutie rides in on a motorcycle with a flat tire, I dunno  _ how _ she made it. Was ‘round Hammerhead for a hunt, I think, right, pumpkin?” She looks to Aranea for confirmation.

Aranea smirks. “Yeah. Real nasty pack of voretooths right by the road there. One of ‘em managed to slash right through my tire. Luckily enough, Hammerhead was a few miles away,” Aranea says.

Cindy laughs. “Y’left out the part where your bike was about 200 miles past proper tuneup and oil change.”

“Yeah, well, I got distracted, what can I say?” Aranea says defensively. “Anyway, saw Cindy there, took my chances. Invited her for some free drinks. Perks of being a bartender.”

“I’ll say! It was real nice to see Lestallum, too, I never make it out this far unless it’s for a tow!” Cindy says, smiling.

Cor nods. “It was great meeting you for the first time, Cindy. Knew Aranea had found a keeper.”

Cindy blushes a pretty pink. “Aww, Cor, yer always so sweet to me. Love ya.”

“Love you too,” Cor responds.

Prompto raises an eyebrow. This must have been happening for a while for Cor to easily say that. “How long have you guys been together?” he asks, tone obviously guilty.

Aranea laughs. “You couldn’t look guiltier, shortcake. Our one-year’s coming up in May.”

Prompto frowns. “Oh, man. Has it really been a year…?”

“Last time I saw you was for my birthday last December,” Cor reminds him. “Which you  _ missed _ four months ago.”

“Dad! I didn’t miss it. I told you I was busy. I video called you! I just had so much work, I didn’t have a way to get out here--” Prompto cuts himself off, as he realizes that if he was supposed to be dating Ignis, he’d definitely have had a ride out here.

Ignis notices Prompto’s slip-up. “Darling, if you would have mentioned it, I would have been happy to take you to Lestallum for your father’s birthday. It’s quite a shame we had the workload we did back in December.”

Prompto thanks all six of the Astrals that Ignis is a smooth liar. He totally just saved Prompto’s ass. “I know, babe, I just didn’t wanna bother you,” he lies feebly. “You’re way busier than I am.”

“Hmm,” Cor says, narrowing his eyes. “I suppose a video call is better than nothing. I hope I can see you  _ this  _ year, though.”

Prompto wouldn’t be surprised if he started visibly sweating. “For sure! I’ll come for Nea’s birthday, too, I swear. I  _ am  _ sorry for not coming here more often, I was totally for realsies about how much work I have.”

“Thanks to your boyfriend, right?” Cor teases, though there’s a hint of seriousness there.

Prompto’s eyes widen. “What? No, it’s not his fault--”

Aranea laughs. “Alright, Dad, I think he gets the point. No further torture necessary.”

Cindy clears her throat, trying to lighten the subject. “Glad y’all could make it now, though. It’s real beautiful here this time a’year, ain’t it? Especially at night.” She sighs happily. “You two ought’a make a date or two out of it while y’all are here. ‘M sure it’s got nothin’ on the crown city, but it sure is purty here too!”

Cindy’s accent is about the most charming thing Prompto’s ever heard -- well, except for maybe Ignis’s, but he’s biased -- and Prompto can easily see why Aranea is so charmed by her. She seems sweet enough to keep Aranea grounded, too. Prompto likes that they’re together. He feels a bit guilty being here under false pretenses, knowing Aranea would kick his ass if she knew he was lying about Ignis this whole time.

“We’ll be certain to do that, thank you, Cindy. Prompto is due for a proper date, it’s been far too long, what with work getting in our way,” Ignis says, turning to Prompto to wink at him. Prompto’s limbs swiftly turn into goo, so to speak.

“Aww, babe, c’mon,” Prompto says shyly, laughing nervously.

“It’s true, while you’re here, you should take Ignis to see everything,” Cor suggests, a peculiar tone to his voice that makes Prompto a little nervous. “Now that you two are on  _ friendly _ terms.”

“Uh, yeah! Definitely,” Prompto mumbles.

“So, y’all work together?” Cindy asks. “I can see how that would’ve started out rough.” She laughs.

Prompto flushes. “Yeah, I mean, to be fair, it was less Ignis and more of the workload Ignis represents.”

Ignis smiles. “I certainly can be a bit much at times.”

“So y’all got friendly, huh?” Cindy asks with a grin. “Y’all really make such a darlin’ couple.”

“My thanks, Cindy,” Ignis responds. “I could say the similarly regarding the both of you.”

“Yeah. ‘Nea really lucked out,” Prompto agrees.

Cindy giggles. “Don’t think luck had much t’do with it. She’s got plenty of charm too, ain’t that right, darlin’?”

Aranea laughs. “I hope so. Gotta keep you on your toes, babe.”

Cor turns his attention to Prompto and Ignis, despite the adorable display that Cindy and Aranea represent, which makes Prompto pretty nervous. “So, about that,” Cor begins, taking a long swig of beer before continuing, “how’d you guys end up like this? Last time we spoke, you two weren’t that close.”

Prompto shifts uncomfortably. He should have anticipated that Cor would be suspicious about this. He means well; he’s just really protective of Prompto, which Prompto can appreciate. It’s not like Prompto has a history of healthy romances under his belt.

“Prompto has quite the way of working himself into one’s life and leaving quite an impression,” Ignis explains, an affectionate smile on his face that has no business looking as genuine as it does. Ignis really is such a good actor; Prompto’s floored. “There’s only so much one can take when he continues to be as selfless and as charming as he is, not to mention how utterly handsome I find him. He makes me smile every moment I’m with him. He wore down my defenses rather quickly.”

Prompto really needs to get laid, or something, because all Prompto wants to do is cry at how sweetly Ignis worded that. Prompto knows one thing; whoever Ignis ends up with romantically for  _ real _ will probably be the luckiest person in all of Eos.  _ Shit. _ Prompto’s crush intensifying is the  _ last _ thing he needs at the moment.

Prompto drags his fingers down his cheeks, as if he could scrape off the blush that seems to have taken up permanent residence on his face since Ignis came into his life more often.

“Ig_nis,” _Prompto whines, enunciating his full name for the first time in a while. “You’re so damn cheesy. Holy shit.” Prompto finds himself giggling, a giddy feeling piling up in his chest. “I, uh, yeah. What he said.” _Shit._ _Make this better, Prompto._ More awkward giggles tumble from his lips -- shit, since when does Prompto _giggle?_ “It was pretty easy to see how amazing of a person Iggy is as soon as we started hanging out. He’s really sweet. It’s a little hard to read him but I slowly realized how completely kind and reassuring he can be. And his puns are to _die_ for. And, y’know, he’s… pretty easy on the eyes.” Prompto smiles sheepishly. “I crushed on him for a while but when we got to know each other for real, I fell for him so fast. It’s kinda hard to believe that I even thought he was out to get me in the first place.”

Prompto feels pressure on his leg, and realizes Ignis has reached out to him, squeezing his thigh reassuringly. Prompto is quick to react, covering Ignis’s hand with his own. Prompto can’t help but smile at Ignis, and he returns it, a knowing look in his eyes. This is for  _ him. _ Prompto can’t deal with how sweet Ignis is right now.

“Darling, you can hardly blame yourself. I presented a poor impression of myself, something that I will spend the rest of my days correcting,” Ignis murmurs. “There’s absolutely nothing wrong with a misunderstanding or two, seeing as it has transitioned into the happiest I’ve found myself in my whole life.”

Gods, Prompto is so glad this is fake, seeing as he’d be on the floor if Ignis actually  _ meant _ all this. Still, Prompto absolutely eats it up, and his heart wants it very much to be real. Prompto’s never felt it beat so hard in his life (except for maybe that time he totally almost got hit by a subway car once, when he tried to rescue one of his cameras that fell onto the tracks).

“My goodness, y’all are gonna give me cavities,” Cindy gushes, grinning. “I can tell how in love y’all are.”

“Y-yeah,” Prompto says softly -- nervously. “It’s getting really bad.” It’s sort of not even a lie.

Aranea smiles, genuinely. “Haven’t seen you this happy in a long time, shortcake. Ignis seems like the perfect guy for you.”

“He really is. I know I said some stuff, Dad,” Prompto says, turning to address Cor, “but it isn’t like that now. And Iggy didn’t deserve any of the crap I said. I was just pissed ‘cause I wanted to be a photographer, and I got stuck in a different department. That’s not Iggy’s fault, he was just, like, the punching bag, I guess.” Prompto snorts. “Sorry, babe.”

“No apologies necessary, my love,” Ignis assures him.

Cor sighs. “Yeah. Seems like you kids got that sorted out, at least. Thanks for explaining that to a protective father. How long have you two been together?”

“Around six months, right, babe?” Prompto asks Ignis, even though they’d rehearsed this answer only yesterday. Guilt floods through him. 

“Indeed, almost to the day,” Ignis confirms.

They’re all finished with dinner, only sitting around just to talk to one another. Prompto supposes this is about as good a time as any to tell his family -- and Cindy -- that they’re planning on marriage.  _ Soon. _ Prompto squeezes Ignis’s hand tighter as a warning.

Ignis squeezes back. He knows what’s about to come. They’re really nailing the nonverbal communication; that’s really gonna come in handy during shitty meetings at work. Prompto almost laughs at the thought.

“So, um,” Prompto announces, voice dangerously close to wavering from nervousness. The romcoms really never prepared Prompto for how scary this is, even if it’s fake. “I know this might seem… a little… fast but… Ignis proposed to me the other day.” Prompto holds out the ring, showing it off to his family. “We’re gonna get married.”

“Holy. Shit,” Aranea is the first to say. “Holy shit, kiddo! Congrats!”

“Well, I’ll be,” Cindy adds, “that’s just ‘bout the sweetest thing I ever saw! What a purty ring, too! Congrats, you two! Y’all are gonna last. I can just tell.”

Prompto grins, their enthusiasm easing some of the guilt. “Thanks. I have a really good feeling about it.”

“Thank you very much,” Ignis agrees. “I’m afraid I couldn’t wait any longer.”

Prompto, with all the terror in the world, turns to look at Cor. He seems surprised, eyebrows raised as he looks at the two of them. “Congratulations, Prompto. Ignis,” Cor says diplomatically. “A little fast, though, isn’t it? What’s the rush?”

“Dad, six months is half a year. It’s not that bad,” Aranea points out.

“I mean, there’s a  _ little _ bit of a rush,” Prompto says. He looks over at Ignis, swallowing nervously. If only he could explain the expired visa thing without Cor being immediately suspicious. “We’re, um. Not gonna have a fancy wedding or anything. We’re so busy with work and… we’re honestly just wanting to get it done. We’re sure about each other. We’re gonna sign a marriage license next week sometime. We just… wanna be husbands.”

Ignis strokes Prompto’s leg softly; under the table, no one can see it -- it’s only for Prompto. Prompto sighs.

“That would be my fault,” Ignis explains. “I’m rather impatient.”

Prompto could laugh out loud if it wasn’t so tense in the room. Ignis is probably the most patient person he’s ever met. 

Cor, however, doesn’t address Ignis at all. His eyes are fixated on Prompto. “You’re just planning on getting married? No wedding?”

Prompto shrugs. “I don’t see why we’d need one. It’s not like anyone would come on such short notice.”

“Why can’t you wait?” Cor presses.

Prompto starts feeling a bit cornered -- a bad habit of his, but he doesn’t understand why his father doesn’t just allow him to be happy. “‘Cause we don’t care about all that crap, y’know?”

“Well, Prompto, when you have a family, and are getting married to someone you clearly care about and love, we want to see that happen. We want to be there during that. That’s what families  _ do _ .”

Guilt rushes through him. Shit, why didn’t he think about how selfish it seems? It’s not like Prompto can tell him they have a deadline.

“I apologize, Cor,” Ignis intervenes, trying to ease the tension. “The blame lies solely on me. Since I lost my parents, I wrongly assumed that a large wedding was unnecessary for us.”

“I appreciate you trying to take responsibility, Ignis, but Prompto should have thought of this, not you,” Cor explains, tone dangerously even.

Prompto sighs shakily. Gods, he  _ really _ hopes he doesn’t cry in front of Ignis right now. That would be embarrassing. “Dad, I’m not trying to… exclude any of you. Like, we can totally have a ceremony! We just wanna sign the marriage license now. I don’t want it taken away from me after I’ve already decided.”

“Are you sure you’ve even thought about this clearly? Son, you know how you can get with impulsivity. Ignis doesn’t seem like the kind of man to leave. There’s nothing wrong with waiting,” Cor says.

A wisp of anger curls around Prompto, settling in his chest. He doesn’t want his own father to think that he’s being  _ impulsive _ about something as serious as this. He’s on full defensive mode right now. “I  _ have _ thought about this, Dad. This isn’t me flying off somewhere to elope. I love Ignis, I’m  _ in love _ with Ignis. I’ve never felt this way about  _ anyone. _ Yeah, it’s rushed. Yeah, it’s soon. So what? It’s not  _ too _ soon. I’ll have your ceremony whenever, okay? But I’m marrying Ignis.”

“Hey, guys,” Aranea interjects finally. “Let’s not get all bent out of shape here. I think we should let Prompto make his decisions. But I gotta agree with Dad, shortcake. I wanna see you guys get married, too.”

Ignis squeezes Prompto’s leg again. Prompto squeezes Ignis’s hand in return, holding onto him tightly.

Prompto sighs. “Okay. I get that. I’m sorry for springing this on you. If you want a party or ceremony or whatever, then I’m down. We’d have to plan it through work schedules, but… I can do that for you guys.”

Aranea smiles. “There. Was that so hard, guys?”

Cor is silent for a moment, lost in thought. “I guess I can live with that, kid.”

“You have my gratitude for being so understanding,” Ignis says diplomatically. “I do realize that it’s very sudden. I love Prompto very much, however, and I will do my utmost to see that he is taken care of.”

Prompto will never get used to hearing Ignis say that. Even if it’s fake, Prompto  _ never _ thought he’d get an ‘I love you’ from Ignis ever. It’s odd how fast things change, especially for reasons like  _ this. _

“I appreciate it, Ignis. I’m glad he has you,” Cor says, as a last-minute attempt to make amends.

Shit, Prompto really does feel pretty guilty still.

“Enough ‘bout all this seriousness,” Cindy says after the tension dissipates. “Y’all get over here and show me that ring! We’ll sit on the couch and you gotta tell us  _ everything.” _

Prompto laughs. They all get up from the dinner table, plates waiting to be washed for later in favor of sitting in more comfortable chairs. Aranea and Cindy take the couch, and Ignis sits next to them while Cor takes the recliner chair across from them.

Prompto holds out his hand to Cindy, who takes his hand eagerly to inspect the ring closer. Her hands feel rough from working on cars, Prompto guesses, but her calluses tickle as she traces the ring.

“Wow, that really is absolutely darlin’,” Cindy coos as she releases Prompto’s hand.

Prompto laughs. “Thanks. I almost had a heart attack when I found out how much Iggy spent.”

Aranea laughs. “Think that comes with the territory, kiddo.”

“That’s precisely what I told him,” Ignis says with a smirk.

Prompto turns to look at Ignis just to roll his eyes, when he sees there’s no room left on the couch now that Ignis, Cindy, and Aranea have taken up most of it. It’d be weird squeezing himself between Ignis and Cindy, so he looks at Ignis’s lap, wondering if that would be overstepping boundaries to further their narrative at the expense of Ignis’s comfortability.

Ignis raises an eyebrow at Prompto’s line of sight, before he looks at the lack of room on the couch. Understanding floods his expression. Ignis looks up at Prompto, uncrossing his legs, and holding out his arms open wide.  _ An invitation. _ Prompto nearly faints.

Prompto walks over to him, sitting himself right on Ignis’s lap. Ignis’s arms circle his waist, securing Prompto’s back to Ignis’s front. It’s so intimate; Ignis is so warm and Prompto wants to drown in it.

“Well, hello there,” Ignis whispers into his ear, low enough for only Prompto to hear. It’s just for  _ him _ , and the warmth of Ignis’s breath against his ear causes him to shudder.

Prompto holds onto Ignis’s arms that hold him, smiling. “Hi,” Prompto whispers back.

Prompto swears Ignis squeezes his midsection affectionately, but at this point, he could absolutely be hallucinating.

Cindy’s giggle makes him realize that he and Ignis aren’t the only two in the room, and he nearly jumps. “Quit bein’ all adorable and tell us how Iggy proposed! I bet he made it fancy as darn near anythin’, judgin’ by the looks of him.” She laughs.

Prompto’s blood turns to ice. He can’t believe, after all the questions on that stupid list that they tackled, after  _ all _ the planning, they completely forgot to prepare a story for how they got  _ engaged. _ Prompto looks over his shoulder at Ignis, hoping he doesn’t look as panicked as he feels.

“Um, well, I suck at telling stories, so… Iggy?” Prompto asks, hoping Ignis will take the hint that he so does not know what to say. In the off chance Ignis isn’t prepared, however, he adds, “unless… if you’d rather I do it...?”

Ignis appears lost in thought, stoic as ever, but clearly there’s a tightness around Ignis’s eyes that only Prompto can tell as a sign that he’s stressed. Prompto squeezes Ignis’s hands around him again, another reminder:  _ relax. _ This time, it’s for both of their benefits, and not just Prompto’s.

“I would be honored,” Ignis says smoothly.

_ Oh, thank all six of the Astrals above,  _ Prompto thinks _ . _ He practically melts into Ignis’s arms. 

Aranea throws an arm around Cindy’s waist as Cindy smiles beautifully, curling into her girlfriend, clearly eager to see what Ignis will say. Prompto can understand the feeling; he has  _ no _ idea what Ignis will say, either.

“Well, it isn’t often that our jobs require travel, but we do need to for certain events and meetings,” Ignis explains. “Quite recently, we had a flight that would take us to Altissia. Darling Prompto was utterly enamored by the city. As was I, but I found myself far more taken with him, admittedly. His smile, especially as he’s taking photographs, is always so charming -- I found myself itching to keep him for the rest of my life. I hadn’t a ring yet, as I hadn’t thought about proposing quite seriously yet. Marriage was something we’d discussed, of course, so I knew we were on the same page. I arranged for us to share a gondola ride at nighttime, when the city would hold the most beauty. It was at that moment when I truly realized I would love him for as long as I may have him, and I asked him to marry me. I’ll never forget how handsome he looked that night. I do only hope to see him so radiant always. When we arrived home, we selected rings together.”

Cindy, who had her mouth covered with both hands in surprise, gasps. “Well, I’ll be. That sure is somethin’. Never been to Altissia, but I’ve heard it’s darn amazing. Ain’t you lucky, Prom?”

Well,  _ lucky  _ is certainly a word for a situation that never actually happened. The way Ignis described it, though, it sounds actually  _ amazing. _ Prompto can only hope to have a real proposal like that someday. His big fat crush screams in his head that he only wants that to be from  _ Ignis _ , which is ridiculous and completely inappropriate. He really hopes he can get over this crush soon. He’s actually in the clouds right now.

“Yeah, I’m… the luckiest guy in the world,” Prompto manages, hoping he doesn’t sound too weird about it. “He really knows how to take me by surprise.”

Ignis chuckles. “You’ve only yourself to blame for being so utterly charming.”

“ _ Baby,” _ Prompto giggles. “You’re way too sweet tonight.”

Ignis’ arms tighten around Prompto from behind, and Prompto almost closes his eyes at how nice it feels.

“Yeah, damn. That’s… actually kinda cute, blondie,” Aranea says with a smile. “I’m happy for you. But this better not mean you’re gonna stay away even more. I need to see those freckles at  _ least _ every other month.”

“I definitely second that,” Cor adds.

“I know, I know,” Prompto says sheepishly. “I really don’t mean to stay away. Work’s just  _ awful _ , dude. But I might be switching departments soon. Fingers crossed.”

“Oh, yeah? Promotion?” Aranea asks.

Prompto smiles, unable to control his excitement. He almost slips off Ignis’s lap because of it, and Ignis has to scoop him back up against him in the heat of the moment, to which Prompto giggles.  _ Astrals. _

“Yeah, kind of? Iggy’s gonna help me get into photography, so I’m hoping I’ll be able to,” Prompto gushes. “I can’t even wrap my head around it.”

Cor raises an eyebrow at Prompto. “Is  _ that _ why you’re marrying him so fast?”

“I agreed to marry him before I even knew that was possible,” Prompto snaps. “Nice try, Dad.”

Cor raises his hands in defeat. “Hey, hey, I’m just checking. Gotta protect you, and all that.”

“It’s quite refreshing to see a father so protective. You’ve raised a wonderful man,” Ignis compliments.

“Thanks, Ignis. You sure are polite after I’ve been insulting you all night,” Cor admits with a laugh. “I’m sorry ‘bout that.”

“I certainly understand your position; no harm done, sir,” Ignis promises.

Wow, Ignis is a really good diplomat, Prompto realizes. Maybe he should have taken a job with the government or something. He totally was one in another reality, Prompto thinks.

“Congrats, shortcake. Lotta good stuff happening for you. I’m proud as hell,” Aranea says.

“Aw, thanks, sis,” Prompto says sheepishly.

“Congratulations indeed! I’m so glad to have met y’all durin’ such a happy time,” Cindy says with a smile.

“That’s quite kind of you, Cindy,” Ignis responds.

“Promotion  _ and _ marriage. Things seem to be lookin’ up for you after all this time, huh?” Aranea teases.

Prompto nods. “Marrying Iggy and shooting photos for work? A dream.” Prompto feels Ignis chuckle against him.

Cindy smiles. “I saw a bit of yer photos hangin’ on the wall. Yer real good, Prom.”

Prompto glances over at the photographs hanging on the wall, ones he took for photography projects in high school and college. They’re various candids, scenery shots, and others that fit the theme for the semesters. “Oh, man, those are so old. But thanks, Cindy.”

“You took those on the wall, there?” Ignis wonders.

“Yeah, all the photos in here he took. Except, y’know, the baby pics of Prom with his missing teeth,” Aranea teases with a wink.

Prompto can’t see Ignis’s face, but he can almost  _ hear _ the teasing expression just from his voice. “Oh? I don’t believe I’m familiar with that one.”

Aranea grins. “I’ll go get it.”

Cindy starts to giggle. “‘Nea, you can be cruel sometimes, pumpkin.”

Prompto freezes. “Aranea, please no embarrassing baby photos.  _ No.” _

All Prompto can hear is his sister’s maniacal laughter from the hallway. He groans in defeat, leaning back until his head hits Ignis’s shoulder.

Prompto feels fingers brush his hair out of his eyes, as his dramatic movements caused his hair to flop down in front of his vision. Prompto sighs softly at the touch, realizing Ignis is carding his fingers through his hair. “Now, you needn’t be so dramatic,” Ignis murmurs in his ear. “I bet you look utterly  _ adorable.” _

Prompto snorts as he opens his eyes to look at Ignis, forgetting how closely Ignis’s face would be as he’s in the man’s arms. “You gonna show me  _ your _ baby pics,  _ babe?” _

Ignis chuckles. “ _ Never. _ ”

“I’ll find ‘em someway, somehow…” Prompto threatens.

“You’re in luck, Ignis, I found even  _ more _ photos in my Dad’s room,” Aranea says with a grin as she presses some framed photos in Ignis’s outstretched arms.

“Prom was an adorable kid,” Cor says proudly. “Used to call him Freckles.”

“ _ Dad _ ,” Prompto whines.

“Part of comin’ home, kiddo, get used to it,” Aranea laughs.

Prompto looks over just as Ignis starts looking at the photos. The first photo shows Prompto riding around on a toy chocobo with a cowboy hat on, grinning widely as his two front teeth are missing. 

Prompto feels his cheeks heat up. “Oh, man. I was so chubby.”

Ignis laughs out loud at the image, smiling brightly. “You say that as if it is a bad thing. Goodness, Prompto, you truly were an adorable child. These are positively  _ darling. _ ”

Cindy grins, snatching the photo out of Ignis’s hand for better observation. “I’ll say! I could just eat you up!”

Prompto winces, burying his face in his hands for a moment as he realizes the world’s hottest man is looking at chubby baby pictures of himself, missing teeth at all. He lets out another dramatic groan.

“Maybe we should break out the potty training photos,” Aranea teases.

Prompto shoots a look of horror at his sister. “ _ Please. _ Do  _ not.” _

Ignis laughs as he switches to a new photo. Prompto smiles and relaxes a bit as the next photo isn’t quite as embarrassing. It shows him only a few years older -- thankfully, his teeth grown in by the time this one was taken -- as he holds a bright yellow baby chocobo. He remembers how much he loved that chocobo. He used to sleep with it at night when it was a baby.

“You seem to be fond of chocobos,” Ignis observes. “Was this yours?”

Cindy practically coos. “My goodness, what a darlin’ chocochick!” 

Prompto laughs. “Yep, that’s Sunny!” He beams. “He was my best friend growin’ up, basically. I got him when I was… uh…”

“You were nine,” Cor supplies. “Man, he loved that chocobo more than anything.” Cor laughs at the memory. “I rescued him from a coeurl hunt one night, figured we’d nurse him back to health but Prompto just  _ couldn’t _ say goodbye.”

“Prompto and Sunny, oh man, we’ve got  _ albums _ of Prompto and that chocobo. It was a real sweet bird, though,” Aranea adds.

“Was?” Ignis asks, tone bleak.

Prompto chews on his lip. “Yeah, he, um… he got real sick when I was sixteen. Took him to the vet, but curatives couldn’t do anything.” 

Jeez, Prompto really hopes that he doesn’t start crying. Whenever he thinks of Sunny for longer than 30 seconds, he starts to tear up. 

Ignis arm tightens around Prompto’s waist. “Oh, darling, I’m terribly sorry.” Prompto feels Ignis press a kiss to the back of Prompto’s head.

“That’s a real shame. I’m sorry, Prom,” Cindy adds, reaching over to pat Prompto’s hair for a brief moment.

Prompto sighs, appreciating the comforting gestures. Even if it’s just for show, it feels nice to be held like this by Ignis when his heart feels heavy. “It was a long time ago,” Prompto says. “I met Noct that same year, so it wasn’t all bad. He helped me a lot. Bet you would’ve, too, if you’d known me back then.” He looks over to smile for Ignis.

Ignis’s expression softens, leaning in to press another kiss to Prompto’s forehead this time, taking advantage of the new angle Prompto presents. “I absolutely would have. I  _ can _ , however, take care of you now.”

Prompto smiles sadly. If only that were 100% true. “Yeah.” Prompto sees a peek of another photo under Ignis’s gloved thumb, and he gasps. “OH, em, gee! Is that my chocobo amusement park photo?!”

Ignis pulls the photo of Prompto screaming his lungs out on a rollercoaster at roughly age twelve, Aranea much older but still seated next to him, laughing her ass off on the ride too. Prompto looks terrible but the memory is so nice he doesn’t even care.

Ignis laughs. “I quite like this one.”

“Prom’s twelfth birthday, right?” Aranea checks with Cor, who nods. “Yeah. He had  _ so _ many stuffed chocobos that he won at the arcade section.” She snorts. “Well, he had some help.” She winks at Prompto.

“Had? I still have ‘em, thank you very much,” Prompto insists proudly. “They’re in my room, I think.” He grins. “Aranea would help me shoot the targets when I couldn’t do it.”

Aranea laughs. “My mistake, blondie.”

Ignis smiles. “It would be nice to have you to grow up with, Aranea.”

Aranea smiles. “Aww, thanks, Ignis.’

They chat on like that for another hour, exchanging photos and talking about some of Prompto’s childhood memories. Prompto finds that he really likes Cindy, and he’s so glad that he was able to meet her despite the strangeness of their situation. He has to admit that it’s nice seeing Ignis get along so well with his family, even if it’s all for pretend -- and it involves embarrassing baby photos. Aranea and Ignis get along really well, which makes him smile; they have some similarities that Prompto hoped they’d connect over.

Cursing Prompto’s early-to-bed and early-to-rise work schedule, he starts yawning the later the night gets. Prompto, still perched on Ignis’s lap, feels Ignis start to shift underneath him.

“Are you tired, love?” Ignis asks in Prompto’s ear.

“You caught me,” Prompto laughs.

“Yeah, y’all came from Insomnia? Must’ve been a heck of a drive,” Cindy points out.

“Yeah, get some sleep, kid. Your old room’s all clean and set up,” Cor says. 

Prompto sighs. “Thanks, Dad. Totally gonna take Iggy out sightseeing  _ tomorrow _ night, though. Sorry I’m so dead to the world, babe.”

“There’s absolutely no rush, darling. It’s been quite the day,” Ignis promises, kissing the back of Prompto’s head  _ again _ . Gods, Prompto both wishes that Ignis would never stop doing that and stop doing it, only because it drives Prompto absolutely wild.

“Come get the bags outta the car with me?” Prompto asks, squeezing his hands.

“Certainly.”

Prompto heads out to the car with Ignis, sighing once they get outside.

“Sorry ‘bout having to sit on your lap,” Prompto whispers so no one inside hears. “No seats left.”

Ignis chuckles as he presses a button on the key fob to unlock the car. “No harm done, Prompto.” Ignis presses the button again. “Well, that’s strange.”

“Huh?”

“My automatic locks aren’t working,” Ignis says with a frown. He walks around to the trunk to unlock it manually with the key.

“That’s weird. Is the battery dead?” Prompto wonders as he grabs his bag from Ignis’s trunk.

“It shouldn’t be. Perhaps I should test it…?” 

“Yeah. Go ahead. I got your bag.”

Prompto watches Ignis unlock the driver’s side, so he can put the key in the ignition. There’s only a clicking noise; no smooth engine turning on. Nothing lights up, either.

“Drat,” Ignis mutters. “I do believe my car battery has died.”

“Oh, shit,” Prompto says. “Can we get a new one... ?”

“I certainly hope so, otherwise we have no way to return to Insomnia,” Ignis says with a sigh. “Perhaps we should consult with Cindy?”

Prompto gasps. “Good idea, dude! C’mon. We’ll figure this out.”

They take their bags inside, to find Cindy and Aranea still on the couch where they left them. “Hey, Cindy?” Prompto asks. “D’you have any idea where to buy a car battery around here, by any chance?”

“Oh no, y’all havin’ car trouble?” Cindy asks, practically jumping at the chance now that cars are the subject of conversation. 

“Yeah, Iggy’s car battery died for some reason. Maybe we left a light on or somethin’,” Prompto says. “We gotta get it before tomorrow night. We need to head back to work on Monday.”

“If it’s that fancy Audi parked out toward the front, I’m not so sure if they sell anythin’ like that without havin’ to special order it. I can definitely call my Paw Paw and check for y’all first,” Cindy says. “I’ll keep ya updated, and I’ll find out by the mornin’.”

“Are you certain? We don’t mind waiting to find out tonight rather than the morning,” Ignis says, voice tense. 

“Naw, I’d have to ask ‘round to make sure anyway. But I can get that done for y’all in a jiffy. I only hope they’ll have some for yer car, otherwise a part order might take a li’l bit longer than Sunday,” Cindy says sadly. “I’ma do my best to do rush orders on it if I gotta.”

“I will certainly compensate you generously for all the trouble, Cindy. I do appreciate this,” Ignis says.

“It ain’t a problem, hun! I’m sorry y’all have to deal with it t’begin with!” 

“We’ll make do, right, babe? We’ve got plenty around Lestallum to do,” Prompto says. 

“Indeed. Hopefully it won’t be too much of a nuisance. Thank you again, Cindy.”

“Yer welcome, sweetheart!” Cindy says cheerfully, already scrolling through her phone for a number to dial.

“Heading to bed now, shortcake?” Aranea asks, smiling at her girlfriend’s enthusiasm to fix their car.

“Yeah. Definitely need to catch some z’s,” Prompto laughs. “Night, ‘Nea. Maybe we’ll come see you for some drinks tomorrow night?”

“I work tomorrow night, so you better, kiddo. Have a good one.”

“Goodnight, Aranea, Cindy, Cor,” Ignis greets. “It was wonderful to meet you all.”

They all say their goodnights in return, and head into Prompto's old bedroom. Prompto hears Ignis's soft chuckle when he turns on the light. Prompto follows his line of sight until he notices the collection of stuffed chocobos lined up on his bed. 

"We appear to have company," Ignis teases. “Your amusement park winnings, I assume?”

Prompto feels his cheeks flush. "Shuddup. Just throw 'em off."

Ignis raises an eyebrow as he picks up one of the chocobo plushes. "And disturb their slumber?" he asks in mock horror.

Prompto laughs, surprised Ignis can be this teasing. He snatches the chocobo from Ignis's grip, hugging it protectively against his chest. "They've napped long enough."

With that, Prompto starts tossing the chocobos on the floor next to the bed as Ignis laughs.

"Now, now. Be gentle, Prompto. They have feelings," Ignis teases.

"Quit making fun of me," Prompto whines.

Ignis grins. "I wouldn't dream of it. I shall change in your bathroom, then?"

Prompto nods. "Sure, man. Have at it."

By the time Prompto’s changed into sleepwear, he’s practically collapsing on his old bed, groaning.

“I’m so out of social energy for the rest of my life,” Prompto whines.

Ignis chuckles as soon as he emerges from the bathroom, dressed in his own sweatpants and tank top. “The worst is over, it would seem. Are you alright?”

“Yeah,” Prompto sighs, rolling over so that Ignis can sit on the bed next to him. “I feel kinda guilty, man.”

Ignis sits next to him, hovering his hand over Prompto’s leg before deciding against it. Prompto tries not to read too much into that. “Regarding what?” Ignis asks, voice full of concern.

“They’re all expecting this happy wedding and we’re… y’know,” Prompto says, not wanting to say it out loud in case they can hear, even though Prompto’s bedroom is all the way on the other side of the house. “They think I’m just being selfish when I just literally  _ can’t _ wait to get married. We gotta do it now.”

“I understand, but I do believe we’ve smoothed that over quite nicely. You did wonderfully this evening, Prompto. I am very proud of you.”

Prompto looks over at Ignis, and his eyes are already on him, a subtle yet fond smile on his lips. Prompto smiles back, but sighs. “I… nothin’ to be proud of. I almost fought my dad because of this dumb stuff. Only for us to… y’know, in six months or less, it’s not even gonna be a thing. I hate the government, dude. Thanks, though. You literally saved my ass tonight. I would’ve spiralled if you weren’t so sweet.”

“You do realize that we can stop this at any time? I don’t wish to put this stress on you. I am fully ready to accept the consequences; you won’t even have to talk with them. I promised you that I would end this the moment you cannot do this any longer. Is that what you would like, Prompto? I promise, I only care about your happiness.”

It’s a little silly that Prompto feels like Ignis is asking if Prompto wants to break up. Even if it is a fake relationship, it’s still a breakup to Prompto. 

“No! No, we’re in this now, dude. You can’t get rid of me. I don’t want that at all. We’ve got this. I just didn’t expect to feel so bad,” Prompto says with a bitter laugh. “I’m a shitty person.”

“ _ Prompto,” _ Ignis scolds. “You are one of the kindest and most caring people I have ever met. You truly should appreciate yourself more.”

Prompto’s heart thuds in his chest. “I… Gods, Iggy, you’re the one I should be saying that to. You’ve been so great today. Thanks for doing this for me.”

Ignis laughs. “I do believe that is my line. It is you who is doing me a favor, might I remind you.”

Prompto sighs, laughing a little. “True, but you could’ve just bypassed all this. You’re an angel, Igster.”

“Come now, it’s truly nothing,” Ignis promises him. “Do get some sleep, won’t you? I would love you to escort me around Lestallum tomorrow.”

He smiles. “Consider me your official tour guide, dude!”

Ignis chuckles. “How lucky I am,” he says sincerely. “Sweet dreams, Prompto.”

Prompto smiles. “Night, Iggy.”

Prompto curls up in his bed in his old room, sighing. He never thought he’d bring anyone here, let alone Ignis Scientia. Now, he watches Ignis lie next to him, taking care of some work on his phone and tablet before going to bed, and Prompto smiles to himself. There’s something so cute about the way Ignis gets lost in whatever he’s doing, no idea that Prompto’s staring at him like some sort of lovesick dork.

Prompto only hopes he can keep a lid on this nightmare of a crush on the man. This is going to be the longest weekend of his life.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sexual content in this chapter, you've been warned! also be prepared for it from here on out LOL

_ Prompto shifts in his sleep, barely registering the fact that that he must have woken up. Ignis holds him in his arms, and a soft whine escapes his lips. _

_ “Iggy?” Prompto murmurs, wondering why the other man is holding him in his bed with no one else around. _

_ “Shh, darling,” Ignis purrs, voice low and seductive. “Allow me to take care of you.” _

_ Ignis’s hand shifts, sliding down Prompto’s side slowly, teasingly, raising goosebumps along Prompto’s flesh. Prompto can’t stand this; why is Ignis being so touchy-feely? He’s never been like that when they’re alone with no one to witness it. _

_ “Wh..what are you-- oh…” Prompto gasps as he feels Ignis’s hand press against Prompto’s groin. Ignis starts to palm him through his boxers, and Prompto absolutely _ shudders. _ He feels himself harden under Ignis’s touch. “Please,” he whimpers. _

_ “Please, what?” Ignis’s voice is a low tease at the shell of his ear. “Does this feel good, love?” _

_ Ignis takes the opportunity to slip his hand under the waistband of Prompto’s boxers. Prompto inhales through his teeth, and lets out a soft moan when Ignis wraps a hand around his cock. Prompto’s hips roll forward into Ignis’s grip as Ignis starts to tease, stroking Prompto’s arousal quickly. _

_ “Ah--! Yes,” Prompto moans. “Please, yes, Iggy...” _

_ Prompto bites his lip, squeezing his eyes shut. He has no idea why Ignis is suddenly offering this but it feels so _ right _ , and Prompto’s teetering on the edge of release already when-- _

“Prompto,” Ignis’s voice sounds in his ears, nothing like before. “Prompto, wake up, please.”

Prompto jolts up instantly, startled out of sleep. His eyes snap open, only to find himself curled up against Ignis from behind, holding Ignis tightly against him. It’s similar to the first night he spent with Ignis, except for one very obvious difference.

Prompto’s hard. He must have been _ dreaming. _ His dick, still very much at attention from the dream he had, is pressed against the back of Ignis’s thigh firmly.

_ Oh, Gods. _ Ignis woke him up because of _ this. _ It’s bad enough that Prompto’s yet again found himself with his arms wrapped around his coworker, but to have a boner, too? There’s no talking his way out of this.

Prompto rolls off of Ignis as soon as his brain connects the two dots, staring at the gentle morning light that peeks through Prompto’s curtains as he lies on his back, completely mortified. “Shit, shit, shit, dude. I was… having a, uh, dream, I’m _ so _ sorry, Iggy, I didn’t mean to. Are you okay?”

A gentle laugh escapes Ignis’s mouth from next to him, which is _ definitely _ not what Prompto expected. “Prompto, you cannot control your dreams,” he assures him. “No harm done.”

“Wh-- how can you say that when I just… oh, Gods. Fuck,” Prompto whines, burying his face in his hands.

“Prompto,” Ignis repeats, firmer this time. Ignis places his hand firmly on Prompto’s knee through the blankets. “You’ve done nothing wrong. I simply woke you because I did not want you to do anything you would regret before waking.”

Prompto doesn’t know why Ignis is taking this so well. He expected Ignis to shove him off his bed, maybe -- call him disgusting; maybe even call the whole thing off, because Prompto is clearly some sort of perv in his sleep.

“Oh, man,” Prompto says nervously. “Of all times to have a sex dream. Jeez. I must need to get laid or something.”

“It sounded like a rather interesting dream,” Ignis agrees, amusement in his tone. “You do remember my offer, do you not?”

Prompto’s dick, still half-hard despite it being a while since he’s woken up, suddenly remembers its own existence. His hammering heartbeat redirects straight to his groin, ashamedly a little _ too _ quick to respond to Ignis’s suggestion.

“Wait, I, uh… I mean, yeah, but… dude, it’s just a dream. No need to do that. I’m pretty sure you’re already grossed out already. I can just-- go get in the shower--” Prompto says, sitting up to go jerk off in the shower alone like some sort of horny disaster goblin.

Ignis throws his arm forward as it collides gently against Prompto’s chest, stopping him from getting up any more than the half-sitting-up position he finds himself in.

“Prompto, I’m not disgusted with you whatsoever,” Ignis assures him, voice gentle. His voice sounds deeper, kind of like the dream Ignis that Prompto barely remembers now. It makes his arousal all the more excited, his cock starting to throb unashamedly in his boxers. “It’s only natural. I’m offering to aid you. Think nothing of it.”

Prompto leans back on his hands, still halfway between sitting up and lying down as he looks at Ignis. His eyes are soft, gentle, _ patient; _ Prompto doesn’t know what to say. Prompto’s never wanted to say yes to anything more in his life. There’d be nothing better than knowing what it’s like to have Ignis touch him, especially now. Then again, what if Ignis doesn’t _ actually _ want to?

“Iggy, I… I don’t want you to feel obligated to do this, I’m… it’s just a boner,” Prompto laughs awkwardly, leaning on one hand so he can rub the back of his neck nervously. “It’s no big deal.”

“I won’t press it any further,” Ignis says gently. “My very last intention was to make you uncomfortable. I absolutely do not feel obligated, I am offering simply because I don’t mind helping you. If not, I will take a shower, and leave you to take care of it on your own, if that is what you prefer.”

Prompto panics at the thought of denying Ignis. “I… yeah, I mean… are you sure about this, Ignis?”

Ignis responds by sliding toward the foot of the bed, closer to Prompto’s legs than the upper half of his body. Ignis places a hand on Prompto’s knee, squeezing his knee reassuringly before sliding his hand up Prompto’s thigh, resting the heel of his palm gently against Prompto’s arousal. Ignis presses down, _ hard. _

Prompto certainly feels _ that. _ He hisses, inhaling sharply through his teeth, trying so hard not to make an obscene noise.

“Pretend I’m not here,” Ignis suggests. “Pretend I’m someone else. Relax for me, Prompto.”

It’s like every word out of Ignis’s mouth is pure sex. Prompto has no idea why Ignis thinks Prompto would want to picture anything but _ this _, right here, right now. Ignis presses the heel of his palm down against Prompto’s cock through his boxers again, and Prompto’s eyes close, slowly leaning back to relax back onto the bed, head gently hitting the pillow.

“That’s it,” Ignis encourages.

Prompto laughs, but it’s a breathless and shaky noise. His nerves start to melt into pure arousal, writhing his hips under Ignis’s teasing touches. It feels so good to alleviate the pressure on his cock, but Prompto wants _ more _. Prompto wants Ignis to touch, now that he knows that he’ll get it for sure.

Ignis seems to read his mind; Prompto feels the gentle tickle of Ignis’s fingers gliding gently against his stomach, underneath the waistband of his boxers. It’s just like the dream he had, only everything tingles, his heart hammering and his cock aching to feel Ignis’s touch. 

Prompto feels Ignis’s fingers gently brush against the shaft of his cock, and Prompto _ whines. _ He can’t help it. His hips buck upward eagerly without Prompto’s permission to do so, needing to feel Ignis _ now _. He doesn’t say it, but he hopes the way his breath comes out in deep gasps, it gets the message across.

It does get the message across, apparently, as Ignis’s fingers wrap around his girth and _ squeeze. _

“Mmm,” Prompto can’t help but whimper at the pressure Ignis’s smooth, long fingers put against his cock.

Ignis releases the pressure against Prompto’s arousal, but only slightly. Prompto looks down and sees Ignis’s wrist start to move, slowly gliding his grip up toward the tip of his cock. He lets out another undignified whine as the rough pressure just under the head of his cock causes a bit of precome to leak out; he can feel it seep out of the tip. Apparently, that’s Ignis’s goal, as his thumb swipes the tip of his cock gently to gather it as the rest of his fist tightens around Prompto’s cock.

“Ngh, shit,” Prompto groans out loud accidentally as he feels Ignis use Prompto’s precome as lubricant to spread down the rest of Prompto’s length, slicking him up with a few _ agonizingly _ slow strokes.

Prompto usually _ hates _ slow; he’s usually quick when he jerks himself off, but Prompto never thought it could _ feel _ like this. The hard pressure Ignis puts on Prompto’s cock has Prompto’s hips rolling up off the bed, desperate for more, breathless whines escaping his lips. Ignis doesn’t pick up his pace quite yet, squeezing Prompto’s cock tighter, rewarding his whines with more pressure as his fist moves toward the bottom of his cock, still squeezing. His cock throbs at the sensation, wanting Ignis to _ move _.

“Oh. _ Oh, _ shit,” Prompto moans. It takes everything not to moan Ignis’s name and beg him for _ more, _ harder, _ faster, _ Ignis, _ please-- _

Prompto swears he hears a soft chuckle under Ignis’s breath, but he’s so damn horny he could very well have been hallucinating it.

Once Prompto’s cock is thoroughly slicked up with his own arousal, Ignis finally picks up the pace with his wrist. His fist encloses around Prompto, still with the same pressure as before. Prompto’s fingers dig into the bed sheets as he grips them tightly, needing to hold onto _ something _ as the heat of Ignis’s hand radiates pleasure against his cock and sends it all the way down to his toes.

Prompto arches his back as soon as Ignis twists his wrist toward the top, adding pressure just under the tip of his cock, the most sensitive part of him right now. His cock absolutely throbs at the attention, and Prompto can’t help but fuck into Ignis’s fist, chasing his own release impatiently as Prompto writhes and pants on the bed.

This is by far the best he’s ever felt in his whole life. Sure, he’s jerked himself off countless times, but he’s never felt like this before when it’s only been him. It doesn’t help that Prompto can see the flex of every muscle in Ignis’s arm as he’s wearing the tank top he slept in. Ignis’s muscles are flexing because of _ Prompto, _ because his hand is wrapped around his cock solely to make him come, and that thought alone causes pleasure to flood through him.

“Shit, shit, careful, I’m going to--” Prompto pants, too turned on to even be able to finish his sentence.

Ignis gets the picture, at least. Ignis continues his pace, working Prompto’s cock like he’s getting paid to. Prompto continues to be unable to control his hips, pleasure pooling in his stomach, radiating outward to his fingers and toes. His damn thighs start to shake, body trembling as he nears an orgasm.

Ignis hums. “Relax, I’ve got you.”

Ignis squeezes just under the head of Prompto’s cock then, _ roughly, _ coaxing Prompto’s pleasure to burst forth intensely.

Prompto’s hips jerk forward as he comes with a sharp cry, shivering as he releases himself all over Ignis’s fingers. He whines, burying his face in the crook of his arm, trying to muffle his shaky moans as he comes harder than he’s had in a long time. His heart pounds in his chest as his toes curl, free hand practically ripping the bed sheets with his fingernails.

Prompto feels his arousal start to soften as the warmth of Ignis’s grip disappears, Ignis’s hand sliding out of Prompto’s boxers. Prompto peeks out from behind his arm and sees the evidence of his orgasm practically dripping off Ignis’s fingers.

As he comes back down from his post-orgasmic high, he’s a little sheepish that he’s come all over his friend’s hand -- _ Ignis’s _hand. He watches Ignis move to slide off the bed, probably to clean it off.

“Are you alright?” Ignis asks as he stands up.

“Y-yeah,” Prompto stammers, too breathless to say anything more.

“Glad to hear it,” Ignis murmurs, voice low. “I’ll be in the shower, Prompto.”

Prompto’s eyes fall on the very obvious tent Ignis is pitching in his sweatpants. He knows they’re not like _ that, _ but it’d be a little hard not to get aroused after something as intense as that, even if Ignis wasn’t on the receiving end. Despite his feelings about Ignis being more intense than ever, he can be objective enough to help Ignis, too.

Prompto tries to sit up, but his legs feel like gelatin, so he collapses back on the bed. “W-wait, Iggy, don’t you want me to… I can help you, too…?”

“That’s quite alright,” Ignis insists. “I’ve a bit a mess to clean up.” He chuckles.

Prompto feels heat flood his cheeks. “Sorry.”

Ignis stops before he heads into the bathroom. “Hush. That was our goal, wasn’t it?” he teases. “Relax for a bit. I’ll be out momentarily.”

“Are you sure?”

“Positive.”

Prompto tries to relax, but can’t help but feel that he’s creeped Ignis out. It’s one thing to offer this sort of help, and whole different one to actually _ do _ it. He’s so scared Ignis regrets it, that he won’t be able to look at Prompto the same. Prompto can’t stop his brain from shutting off.

“I-Iggy?” Prompto whispers timidly. “Are you okay?”

Prompto hears the faucet turn on, probably washing the remnants of what just happened off of his hand. After the water stops running, Ignis’s head appears from the doorway of the bathroom, and there’s a gentle smile on his lips for Prompto’s sake.

“Yes, Prompto. Don’t fret. Try to get some sleep. We were up rather early,” Ignis says amusedly. “I’ll wake you in a bit?”

“Mmkay,” Prompto sighs, trying to relax. He tries to take faith in the fact that if Ignis is uncomfortable, he’s a straightforward kind of guy -- he’d be honest with Prompto. “Mmkay. If you need anything--”

“You’ll be the first to know,” Ignis promises.

As soon as Ignis disappears into the bathroom, Prompto lies back on his pillow. His heart is just now calming from his orgasm, limbs slowly feeling like normal again. His brain, however, just might never recover. All Prompto can hear in his head is the deep purr of Ignis’s elegant accent gently telling him to _ relax _ as he coaxed an orgasm out of Prompto. _ Astrals. _

Prompto sighs. “Shut your brain off, Prompto,” he whines to himself.

He does just that. He squeezes his eyes shut, focusing on his breaths until the next thing he knows, consciousness leaves him.

\-----

Prompto feels warm pressure on his back, light stroking, fingers tapping gently. Prompto buries his face into the pillow before he takes a deep breath, waking himself from a comfortable sleep.

“Prompto,” Ignis’s voice sounds gently from next to him. “It’s nearly ten. We should consult with Cindy again soon.”

Prompto sighs, eyes fluttering open after rubbing his eyes. Prompto spots Ignis sitting next to him on the bed, fully dressed and showered, typing up an email on his phone with one hand, his other gently rubbing circles onto Prompto’s back. He knows it’s just Ignis’s way of waking him, but Prompto can’t help but feel a swirl of affection at the touch.

One would think after someone’s hand was on your dick, other touches wouldn’t really send you into heart arrhythmia anymore, but apparently it only makes the situation worse.

Prompto sits up, and the hand on his back disappears, much to Prompto’s regret. “Shit. Why’d you let me sleep so late?”

“You looked quite restful,” he murmurs. “I’m certain it’s been a rather long while since you’ve rested that long.”

Prompto laughs nervously. “Yeah, you could say that. Guess you kinda knocked me out.”

Prompto looks over at Ignis, and the tiniest twitch of a smile appears on Ignis’s mouth before he can somber, and Prompto’s heart races. Maybe Ignis doesn’t feel as awkward as Prompto thinks he does.

“My apologies,” Ignis says in the tone of a man who’s really not sorry, not even remotely.

Prompto can’t help but laugh at his smirk. “No, you’re not,” Prompto teases. “Are you… are you sure that you’re okay and stuff? I know that was kinda… different.”

Ignis laughs at Prompto’s persistence. “I promise you that everything is fine. My offer is still on the table, just as it was before.”

Prompto proceeds to overthink that and then some. Not only did he manage to get Ignis’s hand down his pants, but Ignis doesn’t mind repeating it _ again? _ He wonders if Ignis will ever want it reciprocated. Prompto _ hopes. _ Especially when he remembers the outline of Ignis’s arousal through those too, too tight sweatpants of his. Prompto swallows.

Prompto, fighting the flush that again creeps onto his cheeks, laughs. “Okay, okay, sorry for checkin’ so much. Same, though, okay? Like, for realsies. I owe you one.”

Prompto looks over at Ignis when it’s quiet for just a tiny moment too long, and Prompto sees that Ignis is flushed; the softest of pinks color his cheeks and Prompto itches to take a picture of it. Ignis gets more and more beautiful every single day, Prompto swears it.

“That’s quite unnecessary, but thank you, Prompto. I will keep that in mind,” Ignis promises.

Once Prompto showers and throws on his tank top, denim vest, and jeans to prepare for the hot day they’ll likely be spending in Lestallum, the awkwardness of this morning’s venture rolls off of Prompto and washes down the drain during his shower. Prompto’s totally done friends with benefits before. Not that this _ is _ necessarily friends with benefits, but Ignis _ is _ a friend, and maybe they can have a little fun from time to time. Astrals, does he hope. Ignis is officially the sexiest man he’s ever seen, and literally _ all _ of his friends could be supermodels.

Prompto takes Ignis out toward his kitchen to hopefully cook him some late breakfast to make up for sleeping in so late, when the smell of pancakes fills his nose. He finds Cor flipping some onto a plate already stacked high with them.

“Hey, Prompto,” Cor greets. “Ignis.”

“Good morning,” Ignis says politely.

“Pancakes! Aww, I was gonna make Iggy some breakfast,” Prompto laughs. “Thanks for taking care of it for me.”

“I hope you like pancakes. There’s plenty of ‘em. Figured it was the least I could do to make up for last night,” Cor says, maybe a little sheepishly.

Prompto claps his father on the back. “Aww, Dad, you didn’t have to do that.”

“That’s very kind of you,” Ignis says.

Prompto puts some pancakes on plates for both himself and Ignis and heads over to the table to eat it, where Aranea and Cindy sit and eat some as well.

“Hey, guys,” Aranea says.

“Mornin’, boys,” Cindy greets. “Been callin’ ‘bout your battery all mornin’.”

Ignis’s lips press into a thin line. “Good morning, Cindy. May I ask the prognosis?”

Cindy sighs. “Looks like my suspicions were right. That type’a battery’s _ real _ fancy and can only be ordered from the crown city. I can get my hands on one, even a rush order’s gonna make it come in ‘round Tuesday at the earliest. I can have ya towed over to Hammerhead today and back’n’ready by then, though. I’m sorry, boys.”

Prompto frowns. He looks over at Ignis, who seems a little more than stressed. Fashion week is the week after this upcoming one, and he knows how many deadlines they both have to reach in order to get the magazine print ready by Friday. 

“I understand, Cindy. Thank you for doing all you can,” Ignis says diplomatically, but Prompto can tell he’s more stressed than he’s letting on. Prompto can’t help but feel like it’s his fault since they had to come here, and another wave of guilt washes over him. 

“Oh, man,” Prompto says. He reaches over and finds Ignis’s wrist, gripping it gently. “We’ll work it out, right, baby? We can work from here a li’l bit.”

Ignis slides the arm that Prompto’s gripping downward so that he can catch Prompto’s hand, entwining their fingers together. “We will have to. I’m afraid that’s all we can do.”

“You’d be leaving Tuesday night at the earliest, huh?” Cor asks from the kitchen.

“Uh, yeah. Looks like it,” Prompto says with a sigh. He grasps Ignis’s hand tighter for emphasis.

“That’d be plenty of time to round up a few friends and family,” Cor begins, putting a hand on his hip. It looks kind of funny with a dish towel thrown over his shoulder. “We could have a little wedding ceremony.”

Prompto freezes. Ignis notices Prompto’s preoccupation, and starts his usual gentle massaging of Prompto’s hand with his thumb. “What do you mean by little?” Prompto asks, paranoid.

“Well, son, most of our friends are in town. Cindy’s also going to be in town for your car, your sister is off on that day. If you’re so insistent on rushing, we could at least have a small wedding here in Lestallum,” Cor says. 

“Yeah, we talked about it while you guys were… asleep,” Aranea adds, smirk forming on her last word.

Cindy giggles at this.

Prompto could almost start cartoonishly sweating again for the hundredth time the past few days; he really hopes he didn’t moan as loud as he thought he did. He _ was _ quiet, after all, most of the time burying his face in his arm. Aranea’s just fucking with him, he hopes.

“It was a long day yesterday,” Prompto snaps sheepishly.

“I bet it was,” Aranea fires back with a grin.

Ignis lets out a snort, one that it seems like he was trying to contain for quite some time. “I would be honored to find myself married to Prompto with you all to see. It’s a grand idea, if I do say so myself, to make the utmost out of an unfortunate turn of events.”

Cor’s grin couldn’t possibly get any wider. “See, Prompto? I do have good ideas.”

Prompto looks over at Ignis, his eyes digging into the side of Ignis’s face. He wouldn’t have said those things if he didn’t actually want to do them; he would have left it up to Prompto and suffered the consequences regardless. Ignis catches him, their eyes locking. Ignis blinks slowly, a soft smile on his face as if he wants to tell Prompto to _ go ahead. _

“Well, I guess when ya put it like that…” Prompto says. “Sounds like a plan.”

“Aww, this is real excitin’,” Cindy gushes. “I could even see if my Paw Paw could come on over and see y’all.”

Prompto feels his cheeks heat up. He’s already inconveniencing _ everyone _ with this whole wedding thing, and the fact that people are willing to accommodate him for a _ fake _ relationship makes him feel more than a little guilty.

“Nah, Cindy, you don’t gotta do that! It won’t be much to see,” Prompto promises with a laugh.

“Paw Paw will go just ‘bout anywhere that has free food,” she replies with a soft laugh. “Either way, count me in. I’d love t’see y’all gettin’ hitched.”

“You’re very kind, Cindy,” Ignis says smoothly. “I suppose this means we will need to obtain some attire appropriate for a ceremony, won’t we? Is there a tailor in Lestallum, Prompto?”

“Yeah, I can show you,” Prompto says. “Was gonna show you around town anyway…”

Ignis gives Prompto another angelic smile that nearly stops Prompto’s heart in his chest. “That would be wonderful. Shall we?”

Prompto remembers to inhale. “Yep. You got it, babe!”

“Hey, don’t forget to come see me. My shift starts at 8,” Aranea calls out after Prompto before he can drag Ignis out of his house.

“Well, I dunno ‘bout Iggy, but I’ll definitely need a drink by then. I’ll see ya tonight, sis.”

As soon as Prompto gets Ignis alone, heading out at a slow pace toward the Lestallum marketplace, Prompto lets out all the tension in his body in the form of the world’s Most Dramatic sigh.

“Something on your mind, Prompto?” Ignis teases, despite knowing _ exactly _ what’s on Prompto’s mind.

“Iggy. Shit, what the hell have we gotten ourselves into?” he whines. “This is _ way _ more than we planned for.”

“I suppose that is true,” Ignis agrees. “But we’ve accomplished what we wanted, did we not? Your family is on board, and we’ll be able to proceed as usual as soon as we can get our car fixed.”

Prompto bites his lip, trying not to weirdly overthink Ignis’s use of the word ‘_ our’ _ to refer to the car they drove here. “You’re seriously cool with all this?”

“Certainly,” Ignis says, a gentle smile playing on his lips. He proceeds to link their arms together, even though there’s no one around -- it’s a playful gesture, a reminder. “I hadn’t any doubts that we’d have to play house while we’re here. Legally, we’ll be married regardless once we sign the license; a formal affair for your family’s sake wouldn’t alter much.”

Prompto keeps their arms linked, not minding the closeness they share as they wind through the market to head toward the tiny tailor on the other side of town. “Y’know, the ‘formal affair’ you’re referring to is a _ wedding _, right? We gotta… stare at each other all lovingly and you gotta pretend I’m, like, the love of your life. That doesn’t scare you?”

Ignis laughs. “Well, well, we’re doing wonderfully thus far, are we not? After all,” Ignis says playfully, “you truly _ are _ the love of my life.” He tugs on their arms for emphasis.

Prompto _ knows _ the man is joking, but his heart doesn’t seem to care about that. “Well, shit, dude, now that you _ mention _ it…”

Ignis’s smile stays. “And you? You are still on board? Remember, all you have to do is tell me, and I will amend the situation.”

Prompto frowns. “No! We’re not backing down now. If you’re down, I’m down.”

“Then let us get fitted, shall we? I do hope we’ll be able to find something that fits in time.”

“Who knows? Last time I was here it was for prom. It was _ wild,” _ Prompto laughs.

Ignis chuckles. “I would have absolutely _ loved _ to see that.”

Prompto snorts. “You wouldn’t have missed much. I’m sure my dad’s got pictures of it _ somewhere. _ Surprised they didn’t make an appearance last night.”

Ignis laughs. “I’ll have to ask. Did you go with anyone?”

Prompto feels his cheeks flush at the memory. “Uh… yeah, somethin’ like that. I went with a girl for a bit, at least.”

Ignis raises an eyebrow. “Only a bit?” 

Prompto laughs sheepishly. “She ended up having an allergic reaction and she had to bail.”

“Oh no. That’s terrible, Prompto. I’m sorry. Did you stay regardless?” 

“Yeah, I mean, I spent the rest of the night helping take photos of other prom couples. Talk about a bummer. Taking pics was fun, though.” He laughs.

Ignis has a peculiar expression on his face -- half-amused and half-fond, perhaps. He opens his mouth to respond, when a gentle look of horror comes to his face. “I can’t believe I’ve never asked this before, but are you only romantically interested in women?” 

The question takes Prompto by surprise. He thought his romantic preferences were clear, judging by how unsurprised his family was to bring a man home. Then again, their dating history didn’t exactly come up in any of their work conversations. “Oh, no, not just women! Anyone. I like pretty people, I guess. Thought you knew that, dude. Sorry.”

Ignis nods, the tension leaving his features. “Ah, right. Apologies, it’s not something I considered when I asked you about this -- perhaps my anxiety got the best of me.”

Prompto smiles, leaning into Ignis reassuringly. “It’s all good, man. I mean, even if I was only into women, I still would’ve helped you.” He laughs. “You’re… just into men, huh?”

Ignis chuckles as he holds the door open for Prompto. “Yes, I tend to have a preference for that type.”

Prompto’s about to respond when a familiar voice fills Prompto’s ears as soon as the door closes.

“Is that Prompto Argentum I hear?” 

Prompto looks over to find the very same tailor he had when he got fitted for prom, Jared. He and Cor were fairly good acquaintances. Prompto even used to babysit Jared’s grandson, Talcott.

“Heyaz, Jared! It’s been a long time!” Prompto says, a little surprised. “Nice to see you still here.”

“Yes, of course I am,” Jared responds. “I never thought I’d see you come in here again; I thought you’d moved to the crown city.”

“Oh, I did,” Prompto says sheepishly. “I’m visiting Cor and Aranea, introducing them to… well, my fiancé.”

Jared’s eyebrows raise as he takes in Ignis on Prompto’s arm. “Well, that’s certainly quite a surprise! Congratulations, Prompto. I remember when you were no older than Talcott.”

Prompto laughs, rubbing the back of his neck. “Yeah, how is that grandkid of yours? I haven’t seen him since I babysat all those years ago.”

Jared laughs. “He’s turning out to be a lovely young man, though he’s still got a ways to go.” Jared looks over at Ignis. “Forgive me, I’m being terribly rude. My name is Jared. I’ve known Prompto since his father adopted him as a baby.”

Ignis smiles beautifully at Jared. “It’s a pleasure to meet your acquaintance. I’m Ignis. It’s rather nice to meet yet another who has known Prompto his entire life.”

It still never fails to surprise Prompto just how good Ignis can be at playing house. He really does come off as a super polite yet shy man who’s in love. Part of him wishes it was true, maybe a little bit, just enough to get Ignis’s attention even for a fleeting while. Prompto bites back a wistful sigh as he watches Ignis shake Jared’s hand.

“It’s good to meet you too, Ignis,” Jared says honestly. “You seem like a lovely young man. I’m glad Prompto has you.”

“Not as glad as I am that _ I _ have _ him,” _ Ignis says smoothly, and smiles knowingly at Prompto. He means it, Prompto realizes. Not in this context, but… still, it’s something. Prompto smiles back, flush blooming on his cheeks.

Jared smiles. “This one’s a keeper, Prompto.”

Prompto throws his head back and laughs. _ If only you could tell him that, _ Prompto thinks to himself. “I know, right?”

“What is it that I can do for such a lovely couple today?” Jared asks.

“Well, it’s kinda… a bit of an odd request,” Prompto laughs. “We’re planning on having a little impromptu wedding. D’you think you could give us anything in our size halfway decent to wear on _ super _ short notice? Toootally understandable if you can’t. I know it’s a shot in the dark.”

“Define ‘super short’, and maybe I can help.”

“We’d need to depart no later than Tuesday night, so we would have to have something by no later than that morning,” Ignis explains. “We can take anything off the rack that would decently fit, of course, without issue.”

“Hmm. That’s the day after tomorrow,” Jared says tensely. “I can’t make any promises, but I’ll get you two measured and go from there.”

“Hey, if not, we can totally get married in pajamas,” Prompto jokes. “It happens.”

Jared laughs. “Well, let’s hope we wouldn’t have to go _ that _ far.”

“If that is what it would take to be able to marry you, my love, then I shall sacrifice,” Ignis teases to Prompto.

Prompto kind of wishes he would stop being so charmed by the faux romantic things that Ignis says. His heart really is going to stop beating one of these days.

Prompto watches Ignis get his measurements taken first. He tries not to pay attention to the length of Ignis’s legs, his elegant posture, the way his suspenders taper nicely to his slim waist, or the musculature of his arms that he vividly remembers seeing in action this morning when Ignis had--

_ Damn. _ That beautiful man really had jerked him off -- to completion -- this morning. It still feels sort of like a dream. Prompto can only _ hope _ there’s more where that came from. 

“Shall we get you measured up, now, Prompto?” Jared suggests once he finishes with Ignis.

Prompto nods, holding his arms out while Jared uses a tape measure on him.

“You seem thoughtful,” Ignis notes, the proximity of the other man startling him, as Prompto had gotten lost in his own head again. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah! Just thinkin’ bout what kinda suit I should wear. Y’know, _ if _ I can,” Prompto lies easily, laughing nervously.

“You can try on any of the jacket colors you’d like, if you want,” Jared offers as he’s measuring Prompto. “They’re unlikely to be a decent fit, but you can narrow down an idea of what you want if possible.”

“Thank you, Jared,” Ignis says gratefully. “Would you like my input, Prompto?”

Prompto chews on his lip. “You’re the style icon, Iggy! I’d love to hear it.”

Ignis smirks, the compliment rolling off of him beautifully. Prompto reminds himself to compliment Ignis far more often if he gets to see a smile like that.

“Now, I find myself doubting that there are any colors that _ wouldn’t _look lovely with your complexion,” Ignis starts, walking over to the varying jacket colors. “But if I do say so myself, you would look utterly exquisite in a traditional white.”

Prompto can barely focus; Ignis using the words ‘_ exquisite’ _ and ‘ _ lovely’ _ to describe someone like Prompto seems laughable, but coming from Ignis, they seem all too genuine.

“White, huh?” Prompto asks. “Maybe I should try one on…?”

“That’s a grand idea.” Ignis pulls a white jacket off of the rack, holding it open for Prompto to slip his arms into. 

Prompto holds his breath for a moment, pushing his arms into the sleeves of the white jacket. It’s way too big; the sleeves almost go past Prompto’s fingers, but he has to admit the light color does look pretty nice with his skin tone.

“Ignis has quite an eye,” Jared agrees. “White looks good on you.”

“Have a look for yourself and see what you think?” Ignis suggests, placing a gentle hand on Prompto’s shoulder to turn him toward the mirror.

Prompto’s almost surprised to see his reflection. He’s never been one for formal wear or anything like that, but embarrassingly enough, there’s always been something so romantic about wedding attire. He can hardly recognize himself in the pretty suit; tuxedos aren’t something he finds himself wearing ever -- except for Crowe and Luna’s wedding a year ago, but that didn’t count.

“Y-yeah,” Prompto manages, “I think that’s what I should go with.”

“I can agree with that,” Jared says. “When your fiancé can’t take his eyes off of you, I would say that’s the one. It’s refreshing to see the love you two share.”

Prompto hesitates, meeting Ignis’s eyes in the reflection of the mirror. It takes a second for Ignis to realize Prompto’s eyes are on him, as Ignis is busy taking in the rest of Prompto’s appearance. Ignis laughs softly, trying to brush off Jared’s compliment, but there’s a gentle flush to Ignis’s cheeks that wasn’t there before. It drives Prompto absolutely wild.

“You look marvelous, Prompto,” Ignis says, voice low with emotion. “Anyone would be blessed with the honor of marrying you.”

Prompto’s heart does a somersault or two, and maybe drops down into his stomach. Prompto’s got to ask Ignis how he does that sometime, sounding so genuine and tender with something that isn’t even real.

“Aww, babe, stop. I’ve blushed enough today,” Prompto laughs, noting his bright red cheeks in the mirror. “I love you.”

_ Oops. _ The words just sort of burst forth out of him, and he hadn’t thought about how awkward it would be once the words escaped. Prompto’s cheeks somehow get even redder in his reflection, hoping he doesn’t look as out of place as he feels. Sure, they’ve said variations of it for the benefit of their audience, but never an outright _ I love you. _

If Ignis is bothered, he doesn’t show it. Ignis ducks his head just enough to press a kiss to the top of Prompto’s head. “And I love you.”

Prompto wonders, a little amused, if the words gave Ignis butterflies in his stomach too when Prompto had said it to him. Probably not. It’s easy for friends to say that to each other, but for some reason, the words coming from Ignis just feel so _ intimate. _

Prompto self consciously starts shrugging himself out of the sleeves of the suit jacket, not wanting to draw too much attention to how badly Prompto wants to press a kiss to those slightly smirking lips. Ignis helps him hang it back up.

“We can probably do white in time. I have a ton of measurements for those,” Jared says. “Anything on your mind for you, Ignis?”

Prompto has no business being so happy to hear this. “Sweet! Yeah, Iggy, let’s get a color for you. What are you thinkin’?”

“We do have plenty of the plum and blue in stock, that might have a better chance of fitting you, Ignis,” Jared explains.

As soon as Jared points to the section of _ plums, _ Prompto can’t take his eyes off of the pretty dark purple shade that would look really beautiful and unique on Ignis. It’s even the same shade of color as Ignis’s bed comforter back home, and it matches a lot of clothes that Ignis wears. He wonders if it’s Ignis’s favorite color; he laughs as he realizes that they hadn’t tackled such a simple question on their neverending list of wedding interview questions.

Ignis raises an eyebrow. “Something humorous?”

“Do you like purple?” Prompto asks randomly, accidentally not revealing how he’d jumped to this train of thought.

Ignis, thinking he’s referring to the suit color, turns his attention to it. “It’s quite a beautiful shade, yes. Shall I try it on…?”

Prompto smiles at how fondly he looks at the color. “If you wanna. I just noticed you tend to pick that color a lot. Makes me think of you.”

Ignis chuckles, a surprised expression coloring his features. “Is that so? Perhaps I simply _ must _ try it, now.”

Ignis has the opposite problem as Prompto as Ignis slides his arms through the sleeves; they’re much too short, coming up just above his wrists. Still, the darker shade of this particular purple always looks so gorgeous on him. _ Anything _ looks gorgeous on him, it’s kind of unfair.

“Gods, you always look so handsome, Iggy,” Prompto says, still a little floored as they gaze at him in the mirror. “Drop dead. For realsies.”

Prompto wonders if this isn’t romantic enough in front of Jared. Prompto’s never been one to be super romantic; he’s not like Ignis, whose every word that comes out of his mouth sounds like it’s straight from those classic romantic drama novels he was forced to read in high school.

“My thanks,” Ignis says with a laugh. “Is it approved by my groom-to-be, then?”

Prompto swallows. “You look perfect in that color. How ‘bout it, fashionista? Would your purple and my white look good for a tiny wedding?”

Ignis smiles, turning his attention away from his own reflection to look at Prompto. “We will look wonderful, my love.”

Prompto tries to still his heart rate, the intensity of Ignis’s loving gaze a little too much for Prompto to handle. He laughs nervously. “It’s gonna be perfect.”

“Indeed it will.”

“I have some good news and bad news,” Jared says. “We can do both of those colors before Tuesday with no problems. The bad news is that you can’t take them right now, as I’ll have to have some new pants tailored. Other than that, you can stop by on Monday night or Tuesday morning to pick them up.”

Prompto grins. “You have _ no _ idea how much you saved the day, Jared.”

“Certainly. You’ve made many people very happy today. Thank you,” Ignis agrees.

“Of course. Happy to help.”

Prompto watches as Ignis pays Jared, despite Prompto’s offer to help (which Ignis doesn’t even remotely take). They pretty much have everything narrowed down now, and for some reason, the more that’s settled the more nervous he feels.

As Ignis pays, Prompto feels his phone buzz in his pocket. He pulls it out, seeing a text from Noct.

** _Noct (12:24 PM): _ ** _ u guys get to lestallum yet? Havin fun w/ specs? ;) _

Prompto laughs at the string of lewd emojis that follow the message. If Noct pretty much expects Prompto to be a goblin about this, the least he can do is take him up on it.

** _Prompto (12:25 PM): _ ** _ yeah we’re shoppin for tuxes. My dad wants us to like… get married… like a ceremony thing. Fuck _

Noct’s reply is near instant.

** _Noct (12:26 PM): _ ** _ omg r u serious LOL holy shit!!!! _

Prompto nearly groans out loud.

** _Prompto (12:27 PM): _ ** _ gods yeah. Its gonna be wild. Also like has anyone ever mentioned how hot iggy is? I feel like im dying here _

** _Noct (12:28 PM): _ ** _ lmao yeah u have several times _

“Now, Prompto, won’t you give me a tour of the city?” Ignis asks, interrupting his conversation with Noct by holding his arm out for him to take.

“You got it, babe!” Prompto cheers, shoving his phone in his pocket to link his arm with Ignis happily, a grin on his face.

“Texting Noct, are we?” Ignis teases at Prompto’s preoccupation. 

“Yeah. He thinks this is all _ real _ hilarious,” Prompto says with a sigh. As soon as they’re away from anyone who might hear, Prompto laughs.

“I’m utterly unsurprised at that.”

“So anyway, _ is _purple your favorite color?” Prompto asks, thinking of their unfinished conversation.

Ignis smiles. “Another question on the list, I presume?”

“Yeah. Can’t believe we forgot that,” Prompto laughs. 

“I do enjoy purple quite a lot. Green, as well, though if asked for a favorite I would likely choose purple. I’ve been awfully fond of yellow lately, as well,” Ignis says thoughtfully.

Prompto raises an eyebrow. “Yellow, huh? You don’t strike me as a yellow kinda guy. That’s _ my _ favorite. Red’s pretty cool, too. And pink. Blue, too! I sorta like all colors.” He laughs.

“That answer suits you, I must admit,” Ignis says softly.

“Thanks! I think.” He laughs, tugging on Ignis’s arm in his grip. “C’mon, I’ll show you around the market. We can go shopping, then hear the music on the square. I’ll show you the power plant, it’s what runs this whole place… well, I’m sure you knew that. Oh, and we can take a few selfies, too! It’ll be great! And we can get some work done out on the overlook, if you want. There’s a perfect view there, pretty peaceful if we wanna hash out a few deadlines since we’ll miss work Monday and Tuesday.”

Ignis is silent for a few moments, looking at Prompto with not the teasing expression Prompto usually expects, but a gentle one; _ fond, _Prompto realizes. He really loves how close they’re getting because of all this, to say the least. 

“I wouldn’t mind getting a bit of work done. However, seeing as this is a rare day off for us both, and it’s quite the beautiful day, I vote that we relax today, and work a bit tomorrow instead. How does that sound to you, Prompto?”

Now it’s Prompto’s turn to smile at Ignis. He never thought Ignis would even be _ capable _ of suggesting _ not _ working, especially when they both know they’re going to be absolutely _ swamped _ when they return. Prompto supposes he doesn’t really _ truly _ know Ignis, but he’s getting to a lot better. That makes Prompto happier than he ever thought it would. Ignis probably doesn’t _ want _ to be perceived as 95% work and only 5% human, and he’s a little guilty his mind keeps accusing him of that.

Prompto leans into Ignis, knocking their shoulders together. “I think that’s perfect, Iggy.”

It really is a beautiful day. There couldn’t have been a better one for a day spent outside, and despite how warm it is, Prompto couldn’t feel more comfortable. The streets are packed with people, and normally, Prompto doesn’t care a whole lot about crowds, but everyone’s wearing a smile. Prompto takes a few candids here and there with his camera, some of the marketplace, and, ashamedly, a _ lot _ of Ignis. The sun makes his eyes shine a bright green -- it’s the prettiest color Prompto has ever seen. 

Ignis in general looks different in this light, but maybe it’s just the fact that he looks so carefree right now. Despite how awkward their situation can get, it really does seem like he needed a break from everything in Insomnia. Prompto shudders to think about the last time Ignis gave himself a day off, or even a break. Prompto’s happy to be that distraction for him; he’s good at _ that _, at least.

Prompto gives him the grand tour of everything. They stop and get some skewers and drinks at the market, which taste delicious and Ignis _ swears _ he can recreate a recipe when he gets home for them to try. It makes Prompto smile, the thought of him using _ us _ to refer to them. It’s like there’s a promise of the future, no matter how short of one it might be. Something tells Prompto they’ll always be close friends after this, to say the least, which is even better. The future looks pretty hopeful, if he’s honest.

Of course, Prompto can’t let Ignis leave the market without buying him a ridiculously ugly chocobo trinket for Ignis to keep in his apartment. Ignis swears that he won’t, but the tiny smirk Ignis wears very much tells Prompto that he’ll put it _ somewhere. _ He hopes it’ll be something Ignis can remember him by when this is all over. 

The last item on Prompto’s agenda is, of course, to show Ignis the overlook. It’s one of the best views in all of Eos, if anyone asked Prompto. The meteor looks amazing from this angle -- Prompto’s taken so many pictures of it. Prompto can’t drag Ignis fast enough down the winding alleyways and streets of Lestallum, following the line of the cable car out to the front of the city. 

“This must be the overlook you mentioned?” Ignis asks once they get closer. “I couldn’t get a decent view of it as I was driving.”

There’s musicians playing soft music just off to the side of the scenic overlook as people eat at the tables outside. A couple in the distance dances gently to the music, and Prompto finds himself mesmerized by them.

“Yeah,” Prompto says distractedly. The dancing couple reminds him of something. “Hey, it’s a good thing we don’t gotta dance for our wedding or anything.” He laughs.

Ignis follows Prompto’s line of sight, confused for a moment. “Oh? Why is that?”

“I dunno how,” Prompto admits. “I’d step all over you.”

There’s silence for a moment as they watch the happy couple giggle and spin gracelessly around each other. It’s not much of a sight but they look like they’re having all the fun in the world.

“Would you care to learn?”

Ignis’s voice is so low, Prompto swears he almost misheard him. He looks up and over at Ignis, surprise on his face until he sees that Ignis is smiling, a curious expression in his eyes. Prompto’s heart gallops at the thought of dancing with Ignis. It seems so intimate, but all he wants is to be close to him.

“Oh, Gods. I don’t wanna break your toes, dude,” he snorts.

“Nonsense. I have every faith in your ability to learn. You never know, dancing _ might _ occur at our wedding.” The warning to his tone is merely a tease.

Prompto flushes, laughing a little. “I guess that’s true.”

Ignis holds a hand out for Prompto to take, a soft smile on his face, unlike the teasing one he’s worn earlier. Prompto shoves his camera in his pocket, timidly placing his hand on top of his.

“May I?” Ignis asks needlessly.

Prompto really hopes it’s just the heat that makes his face feel so warm. “Uh huh.”

Ignis closes the distance between them, his other arm encircling firmly around Prompto’s waist. Prompto’s heart starts to gallop as he lets his free hand rest on Ignis’s shoulder.

“Very good, Prompto, you know the position already,” Ignis compliments. “Now, follow my lead. You may look at your feet, if you’d prefer, but I find it easier to simply move.”

Ignis doesn’t dance anything complicated with Prompto, thank the Astrals. He’s pretty sure he’d stumble otherwise. Ignis moves slowly to the beat, stepping forward, backward, and to the side, a doting expression on his face. Prompto squeezes his fingers a little too tightly, smiling when he realizes he’s not _ totally _ terrible at this.

“We needn’t count to this in a similar fashion, but were this a waltz, you would count in threes,” Ignis explains. “Care to try a spin?”

Prompto stumbles a bit, surprised at the question before regaining his posture and following Ignis’s lead again. “I dunno if I can do _ that.” _

“But of course you can,” Ignis encourages. “Go on.”

Ignis’s arm lets go of Prompto’s waist, the hand holding onto his own raised to allow Prompto to spin around in a sloppy circle. Prompto’s all giggles, feeling kind of like an idiot and _ knowing _ he looks like one is even better, but it’s fun.

“Oh, Gods,” Prompto laughs as soon as they return to face each other. “At least I didn’t fall.”

“You’re in fine form, Prompto,” Ignis agrees, his arm returning to Prompto’s waist again.

A few people’s eyes linger from near the overlook, just as Prompto and Ignis had done with the couple from earlier, but Prompto doesn’t mind. This is fun, and Ignis looks just as happy as he does.

“Where’d you learn to do this?” Prompto asks curiously as he concentrates on not stepping on Ignis’s foot.

“I had lessons when I was a young boy. My parents gave me all sorts of lessons to do all sorts of things. I found them rather boring, but some of the lessons stuck,” Ignis explains, leaning into Prompto’s space a little more.

“Oh. That’s kinda cool,” Prompto murmurs, looking up at him with a soft expression. “You’re a really good dancer, Iggy.”

He wants to ask about Ignis’s parents; he mentioned that he had no family left, so obviously, something must have happened. He doesn’t know if they’re quite _ there _ yet, though, so he bites his lip instead.

“I’m nothing special,” Ignis says.

“What other kinds of lessons did you take? Anything cool?”

Ignis considers it for a moment. “Hmm. Other than dancing I dabbled in fencing, foreign languages, culinary arts, piano, violin…” He seems lost in thought.

Prompto’s eyes widen. “Seriously?! That’s so fucking cool? Dude, is there anything you _ can’t _ do?” 

Ignis smiles, his cheeks a bit pinker still. “Nonsense, I never indicated I was _ good _ at any of those,” he points out.

Prompto rolls his eyes. “We all know you are. You’re good at everything.” He pauses for a moment. “Fencing, huh? That’s pretty cool.”

“Yes, I found that and knife-throwing particularly interesting.”

Prompto suddenly pictures Ignis doing all sorts of badass things; sword fighting and throwing _ knives -- _ and it’s suddenly way, _ way _ too hot, even for Lestallum. “You’re fucking with me, aren’t you?”

Ignis raises an eyebrow. “Why would I joke about something like that?”

Prompto lets out a breath as they sway to the music. “That is _ so _ hot. What the hell.” The words come out before he can even stop them.

Ignis barks out a laugh. “Hardly. You’re rather silly.”

Prompto laughs with him. “Of course you’re all modest about it, too, Igster. Ridiculous.”

Ignis’s smile turns knowing. “I haven’t the foggiest what you mean, _ dear. _ Perhaps I can show you sometime.”

Prompto wonders how Ignis would react if he were to pass out in his arms. “I mean… totally. I gotta see proof!” He smiles. “Bet you’re a total badass.”

“Only if you show me your hunting skills as well,” Ignis says with a smirk. “Hold onto me?”

Prompto doesn’t know why Ignis asks that, heart pounding at the intimacy of the question. He’s confused until Ignis bends him at the waist, Ignis dipping him so low he swears he’s not far from the ground. Prompto nearly squeaks in surprise, the hand on Ignis’s shoulder sliding up instinctively to claw around Ignis’s neck to keep himself from falling. Prompto starts to laugh, looking up at Ignis timidly.

Ignis’s laugh is so close, it’s as if his lips were against his ear. Prompto’s glad it’s too hot outside to shudder. “Relax. I won’t drop you.”

“I-I know,” Prompto says defensively, laughing again. “I just like to hold on.”

Prompto holds tightly to Ignis’s hand, relaxing a little into the arm that’s curled around him. He really has most of Prompto’s weight secured with one arm, and Prompto tries not to think about how attractive that is. It doesn’t help that all of his field of vision right now is simply _ Ignis; _he can even see himself reflected in Ignis’s glasses. Prompto’s mesmerized by the tiny scars on his face, and the moles here and there that go with them. Prompto can’t even think of them as imperfections, as the man is so beautiful, every part of him is.

Ignis laughs with him, and Prompto finds himself sighing wistfully when Ignis pulls them both upright. Prompto’s only a little sad to be back at arm’s length with Ignis again.

“Still with me?” Ignis asks, perhaps a bit teasingly.

“Yeah. Just… thinking a lot, I guess,” Prompto murmurs as they sway to the music. He thinks about the lively music playing and then smiles. “What kinda music do you like, Iggy?”

The question seems to surprise Ignis, smiling when he realizes there’s nothing wrong with Prompto. “Another interview question?”

Prompto laughs. “That hadn’t even occurred to me. Nah, just asking for the heck of it.”

“I see,” he says softly. “I quite like nearly all varieties of music for all types of situations. Folk music, blues, rock and roll, classical… all quite lovely, to me.”

“Huh,” Prompto hums. “Bet you’re one of those, ‘_ewwww,_ _I hate pop music_’ kinda dudes, right?” He laughs.

Ignis laughs along with him. “Surprisingly, no. Pop music can be rather catchy, depending on the song.”

“Wowza. You’re full of surprises, aren’t ya?” Prompto teases. “That’s awesome.”

“And yourself? What sort of music do you enjoy?”

“Oh, man. I’m kinda the same? I like pop music too. Life’s too short not to jam out on the radio, y’know? Rock’s good, too... R&B... Anything, really. Gotta admit I’ve not heard much classical music, though.” Prompto smiles sheepishly.

Ignis’s smile widens. “I’d be happy to recommend some for you later, if you’d like. It’s quite calming while working, I must admit.”

Prompto’s heart thuds, and he doesn’t even know why. Something about listening to the same music as his crush makes him feel closer to them. “That would be so great, Iggy! Gods, we all know I need to learn how to chill out.” He sighs a little sadly.

“Now, now. Are you alright?”

“Yeah,” Prompto promises, looking Ignis in the eyes.

They don’t break eye contact like they normally do; Prompto feels his heart try to climb its way into his throat right at the moment that Ignis extends his arm to twirl Prompto outward. Prompto laughs, spinning a bit dramatically when Ignis allows him to spin back into his arms again. Ignis meets Prompto halfway so that Prompto returns, it’s with his back to Ignis. Ignis’s arm rests on his hip from behind, other hand still gripped tightly in Prompto’s. Prompto can feel the warmth of Ignis’s breath at the back of his neck; he bites back the urge to whine. It’s really not fair.

“Oh,” Prompto gasps, the intimate move taking him by surprise. “Do you do this with _ all _ the fellas you pretend to be in love with?”

Laughter sounds in Prompto’s ears behind him. “Only the ones as sweet as you.”

Prompto knows the heat on his cheeks has nothing to do with how warm it is in Lestallum now. “Aw, jeez, Igster. That was smooth.”

Ignis continues his gentle laughter. “Have I made you blush?”

Prompto laughs nervously, hoping he doesn’t have to answer. He feels Ignis spin him back around to face him, returning to their original dance position. Ignis’s eyes take in Prompto’s face, a teasing smile playing on his lips.

“Ah. I have.” Ignis sounds _ entirely _ too proud of himself.

“Aww, come on, dude. You know I can’t help that,” Prompto whines, shoving Ignis playfully. “Jerk.”

Ignis laughs even harder then. “That’s no way to thank the man who’s just taught you to dance.”

Prompto smirks, rolling his eyes, but he can’t help but bask in the playful attention Ignis is giving him right now. Prompto’s eyes lock with Ignis again, neither of them saying a word for a few moments. Prompto could swear Ignis’s eyes flicker to Prompto’s lips for a brief moment, but Prompto would sooner admit heat stroke than being right about that. Still, he _ wishes; _ it doesn’t stop Prompto from sneaking a peek at Ignis’s mouth either as the song the musicians are playing ends, unfortunately concluding their dance.

“Maybe not,” Prompto allows, his hands still firmly on Ignis even though they’re no longer dancing, “but I _ could _ thank you by takin’ you to get some dinner and drinks where Aranea works. How ‘bout it?”

Ignis smiles, disentangling himself politely from Prompto. Ignis bows dramatically after their dance, causing Prompto to laugh and follow suit with an even more dramatic bow. 

“That sounds wonderful, Prompto.”

Prompto beams, delighted. “Sweet! It’s just across the street.”

“Lead the way.”

“Okay-- oh, wait!” Prompto gasps, turning around. “I almost forgot.” 

“I beg your pardon?”

Prompto winks, pulling out his camera. “Forgot to take a selfie on the overlook! Say, ‘fuzzy pickles’!” 

Prompto throws an arm around Ignis, leaning into him. Ignis’s arm finds Prompto’s waist again, and Prompto sighs, knowing it’ll probably be quite some time before he feels his touch like that again.

This one is Prompto’s favorite selfie yet.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just a heads up for those who might care -- there's some mild alcohol consumption in this chapter. nothing bad, just thought i'd warn!

Prompto is all too eager to get some quiet time with Ignis. Despite spending the entire day with him, he’s yet to see what’s it’s like to spend one-on-one time with him while drinking. The only time he’s seen Ignis drink a bit was at parties and get-togethers, and they didn’t speak to each other much.

It’s much different now between them; that thought excites Prompto all too much.

It’s a little early for Aranea’s shift by an hour or so; Prompto finds a booth in the corner of the bar so they can sit down and eat something before drinking any alcohol.

“It’s rather cozy in here,” Ignis notices.

“Yeah. It’s pretty nice. I’ve only been here a few times, but ‘Nea makes the best drinks in Lestallum,” Prompto says. “Everyone  _ raves _ about ‘em.”

“She’s a good sister to you,” Ignis says. “I’m quite glad you have her to lean on.”

“Yeah. She’s the best,” Prompto agrees. “You don’t… have any siblings, do you?”

Ignis closes the bar menu after placing their order, a small sigh escaping his mouth. “No, I never have.”

Prompto worries he’s asked too much. “Yeah. I mean you mentioned something like that before, but I didn’t know for sure.”

“I appreciate your interest,” he says. “However, the camaraderie I share with you, Noctis, and Gladio is quite a suitable replacement.”

Prompto flushes, smiling softly. He had no idea he considered Prompto that highly after the little personal time they’ve shared until now. “Aww, Iggy. I’m so glad I’m not--” Prompto cuts himself off before he can embarrass himself any further.

Ignis raises an eyebrow. “Not what? I told you, I’ve  _ never _ had a problem with you, Prompto. I always enjoyed spending time with you when we saw each other through Noctis and Gladio.”

Prompto mimics Ignis’s surprised expression. “... Really?”

He smiles. “Yes.”

Prompto laughs. “I… always felt like you were kinda intimidating, so I kept my distance.”

“I noticed.” Ignis’s smile turns into a knowing smirk. “I always enjoyed… spending late office nights with you. Your sense of humor kept my mood from turning sour quite often.”

_ Wow. _ Prompto never knew any of that. “Shit. Man, I really screwed up. We could’ve been friends a long time ago. I mean, we are, but… closer. Like this, y’know?”

“I suppose we can always make up for lost time,” Ignis says gently. Ignis’s eyes are on Prompto, measuring his expression and Prompto can’t control the way his cheeks heat up.

Prompto sighs. “Yeah. Sorry for asking about your family and stuff. I haven’t really asked about your home life, ‘cause I didn’t wanna be… uh, nosy?” He laughs awkwardly.

“You aren’t nosy. I’m quite honored you care enough to ask.” Ignis’s smile is soft, but sad -- it doesn’t reach his eyes as he sighs. “I’ve not any family, as I’ve told you.”

“Uh huh, I remember,” Prompto says awkwardly, fiddling with a napkin. “Can I… Can I ask what happened? Or are we not like that yet?” He laughs again, but it’s a nervous one; no humor involved at all.

Ignis tilts his head quizzically at Prompto. “But of course we are, Prompto,” he promises. “I would certainly hope so, after all that’s transpired over the course of the past few days.” He sighs again. “My parents passed away due to a car accident when I was very small, around six. My uncle raised me afterwards, but passed away due to illness when I was around ten. My uncle worked for Regis at  _ Glaive _ , and therefore knew the Caelum family very well. Regis took me in for the remainder of that time period, as I would have gone into foster care otherwise. Of course, that’s how I met Noct and we became very close, as you know. I left them when I pursued higher education at the age of sixteen in Insomnia, having graduated early, but returned to work for the magazine, as you also already know.”

Prompto frowns. He’s glad Ignis had Noct, but for the most part, Ignis’s upbringing sounds sort of lonely. It sort of makes sense that Ignis tries to hide all of his emotions and tries not to take up a whole lot of space. 

Prompto reaches out, touching Ignis’s wrist gently. “I’m so sorry, Iggy,” he says sincerely. “That’s really hard to deal with. Well, except for the college thing. Clearly you aced that.”

Ignis smiles, albeit sadly. “That’s quite alright, Prompto. I’m doing fairly alright, if I do say so myself.”

“ _ More _ than. You’re real impressive, Iggy.” Prompto laughs. “But that doesn’t mean it isn’t hard or upsetting, at the same time, yknow?”

Ignis turns his wrist under Prompto’s touch, palm up. He grips Prompto’s hand and grasps it reassuringly before letting Prompto go, much to Prompto’s disappointment. “You’ve a point there. I was quite young when I lost my parents, but I still think about them from time to time. I suppose it is a blessing, seeing as I wouldn’t have to be lying to them right now regarding our marriage.”

“Iggy, that’s not true,” Prompto insists. “I would’ve helped you, just like you’re helping me.”

Ignis smiles gently. “Yes, I’ve no doubt about that. Thank you. I often wonder what it would be like to have all this, to have what you have.”

“Well, you’ve got me,” Prompto points out. “And I’m pretty sure my family likes you more than they like me.” He laughs. “And you’ve got Noct, and Gladio… we all love you.”

Ignis’s smile brightens, reaching his eyes finally. “I do believe you’re offering permanence in regards to our friendship…?”

Prompto’s eyes widen. “Oh, Gods, Iggy. Are you kidding? Of  _ course _ I am. I haven’t had this much fun in so long. I really like spending time with you. Even if it might get kinda awkward.”

Ignis chuckles. “It’s rather nice to hear that. I feel similarly.” He sighs, letting out the tension he’s carrying. “I haven’t felt much awkwardness, I must admit.”

Prompto’s heart hammers. “I… I’m glad to hear you say that, ‘cause I don’t either. I guess it’s a good thing this isn’t harder?”

Ignis gazes a Prompto fondly. “A very good thing, indeed.”

Prompto gets distracted by the beauty of Ignis’s smile for a moment. “Can I tell you somethin’, Iggy?”

“But of course.” Ignis takes a sip of his water.

“You’re like… an amazing person. You’re… really sweet, and comforting, and understanding. Self-sacrificing. Funny? I didn’t… expect to see so much of you this weekend. Guess I kinda should’ve expected that. But you’re a really good person, Iggy. I just wanted to tell you that.”

Ignis blinks several times in surprise as Prompto has the pleasure of watching Ignis’s cheeks turn an adorable shade of pink. “I… and just what are you buttering me up for?” he teases. “You’re quite wonderful yourself, Prompto. I’ve not enjoyed myself like this for a very long time. I’m quite happy I chose you for this.”

Prompto ignores the way his heart skips a beat at Ignis’s words. “Not butterin’ you up for anything! I just felt like someone should tell you how great you are. In case Noct forgets. He does that sometimes.” He laughs. “Guess I just didn’t want sad memories upsetting you right now. Sorry again for bringing up crappy stuff.”

“Now, now, how can I be unhappy with you around?”

It’s a simple tease, but Prompto can’t help but melt at his words. Prompto loves cheering people up, and Ignis accidentally confirmed the one thing that would flatter him most. “Iggy... how are you so charming?! Give a guy a break, man.”

Ignis chuckles. “Perhaps you’re easy to charm…?”

Prompto snorts. “Well, we  _ know _ that’s true.” He sighs dramatically.

“Indeed.” Ignis smirks. His expression sombers as he takes another drink. “Speaking of… serious subjects, may I ask you something perhaps sensitive?”

Prompto quirks up an eyebrow, a little on-guard. “Y-yeah, shoot, Igster. It’s only fair.” 

“Do you know anything regarding your biological parents? Apologies to call them such, I simply am uncertain how to refer to them.”

Prompto smiles at the consideration. “No, no, I mean, I dunno what else you’d call ‘em either.” He snorts again. “Nah, I don’t know anything. Apparently, I was born in Niflheim, but not in the greatest conditions. They found me with a, uh…” Prompto trails off, rubbing at his wrist self-consciously.

Ignis frowns. “We needn’t talk about this. I didn’t intend to pry.”

Prompto bites his lip. “N-no, no, it’s not that. It’s just kind of… I dunno, embarrassing? They found me as a baby, with a tattoo. Whoever I was with when I was born  _ tattooed _ me. It’s-- it’s a barcode, like I’m some sort of  _ product _ or something. Insomnian government always guessed it was to be some sort of child soldier, or whatever, I dunno. They found me when they were tryna find intel about the Niffs, or whatever. They saw me with the barcode and no one around, they -- or so I’m told -- rescued me from the facility I was in and brought me to Lucis. Cor was one of the soldiers that found me -- oh yeah, he used to be in the military, by the way--” he laughs, “and he kept me after all the paperwork and stuff went through. With his hands full of me and Aranea, he quit the service and used his skills for hunting instead to have more time to raise me.”

“Who the bloody hell would tattoo an  _ infant?” _ Ignis asks incredulously. “I’m terribly sorry, Prompto. I’m so relieved that you were removed from that environment and into a loving home.”

Their food arrives, temporarily halting the conversation, giving Prompto time to consider showing Ignis the tattoo. It’s not like Ignis would be disgusted at him or think it’s ugly, like Prompto worries about. He’s surprised how easy it was for Prompto to tell him. It took him a long time to work up the courage to tell Noct, and that’s his best friend.

Prompto slides his wristband off, slowly, hesitating just a bit before showing the faded yet still prominent barcode etched across his wrist. “Yeah, still got it! Ha. I cover it up, ‘cause I don’t like… looking at it, or thinking about it. Or having to explain it to strangers.” He frowns.

Ignis takes Prompto’s wrist, thumb brushing against the tattoo. Prompto can’t hold back a shudder; he’s not used to being touched, really, but  _ especially _ not there.

“I apologize for bringing you to discuss it. I was unaware,” Ignis says gently, releasing Prompto’s wrist from his grip after a few soft strokes of his thumb, as if a gentle touch could make it disappear.

“Nah, I don’t mind tellin’ you, Iggy. I trust you,” Prompto admits.

Ignis meets Prompto’s eyes, the softest of smiles on his lips. “That means a lot to me, Prompto. I trust you, as well.”

Prompto smiles back at him. “I’m glad.”

They’re quiet for a brief moment to stare at each other, and Prompto wishes so much that Ignis felt the same way that Prompto does for him. Crushes suck  _ so _ much ass.

Instead, Ignis changes the subject. “So, your sister -- she doesn’t have one of those, does she?”

“‘Nea? Naw. She was a refugee from Niflheim too, but she had nothin’ to do with me when they found her. They were training her to make her some sort of mercenary,” Prompto says. “Pretty scary stuff. She was ten when they found her.”

“Goodness. I’m very relieved Cor ended up as your father,” Ignis murmurs sincerely. “He seems to treat you well.”

Prompto smiles back at him. “Yeah, me too. He’s a good dad, even if he is a little overprotective, and nosy.” He snorts.

“I would hardly blame him for that, given the circumstances in which he found you,” Ignis says.

Prompto steals a fry off of Ignis’s plate. It’s still so funny to Prompto, seeing Ignis eating bar food. He seems so much more dignified than that, but Ignis looks completely content eating it. “Yeah, I guess that’s true,” Prompto agrees. “I think I’m pretty safe nowadays, though.”

“Perhaps,” Ignis says. “But he doesn’t know me. I might not have your best intentions in mind, as far as he’s aware. Perhaps he’s right about that.”

Prompto frowns, surprised to hear him say that. “What? What do you mean?”

“I only mean that I  _ am _ putting you through all this,” Ignis points out. “It  _ is _ rather selfish of me.”

“What?! You’re the least selfish person in the whole word, Iggy! You’re willing to lose your job, your career, your  _ life _ to go back to Tenebrae just to make sure  _ I’m _ comfortable. I  _ agreed _ to this. Hell, I came up with half of it! You’re not putting me through anything. We had an agreement, remember?” Prompto asks, reaching out to grip his hand. “ _ I _ don’t wanna stop this, but… do  _ you? _ ”

Ignis hesitates, and it makes Prompto nervous. He doesn’t even know why. Wouldn’t his life get a little less complicated if Ignis wanted to stop this? Why does he feel so scared that Ignis might want to stop this?

Prompto feels Ignis squeeze his hand in return, finally responding to Prompto’s gesture. “No, Prompto. I don’t wish to stop this,” Ignis says softly. “But I  _ am _ afraid that if you did, you would be far too kind to admit it to me.”

“Iggy,” Prompto says fondly, stroking Ignis’s thumb with his own, “ _ Iggy. _ I might be a pushover sometimes, but I won’t do anything I  _ really _ don’t wanna do, y’know? I’m doing this because I want to, and I wanna help you. I… I don’t want you to leave, dude. I dunno what I’d do if you had to go back to Tenebrae. We’re gonna be alright, okay?”

Ignis sighs, visibly relaxing. He pushes his glasses up his nose before looking at Prompto. He looks the most grateful Prompto’s ever seen Ignis look. “Thank you for that reassurance. You’ve no idea what that means to me, Prompto. I truly appreciate it.”

Ignis sounds so sincere, Prompto’s heart thuds with affection. “Don’t sweat it, dude! That’s what I’m here for, y’know, as your  _ lovin’ _ husband!” Prompto says with a playful wink. 

Ignis chuckles. He leans in, pressing a gentle kiss to Prompto’s forehead. Prompto looks at him in confusion, wondering why he’s done that with no one to care about it, when he sees Ignis nod toward the bar. “I do believe your sister has arrived,” Ignis explains.

_ Oh. _ That makes so much more sense than Ignis simply kissing him because he  _ wanted _ to, but for the longest second, Prompto believed otherwise. He tries to calm the heartache he’s given himself, feeling like an idiot.

“Oh, shit,” Prompto realizes as he looks over his shoulder at Aranea. “I’ll go get us some drinks, then! What would you like, Iggy?”

Ignis thinks for a moment. “How about you surprise me?”

Prompto raises an eyebrow. “I dunno if  _ that’s _ a good idea. You know I like sweet stuff.”

There’s a soft smile on Ignis’s face, teasing. “I trust you.”

Prompto laughs. “Alright, but lemme know and I can get you somethin’ else.”

Prompto leaves Ignis after he nods, still that gentle smile on his lips; Prompto wishes he knew what the hell Ignis thinks about when he looks like that. Pushing those thoughts away with a sigh, he walks up to the bar.

Aranea immediately throws him a knowing smile. “You showed! How are you doin’, shortcake?”

Prompto smiles at her. “Duh! Heyaz, ‘Nea. I’m good.”

“You and Ignis sure look cozy,” she notes. “Want somethin’ to drink?”

He flushes involuntarily. “Yeah. We had a good day today.” He sighs longingly. “I’ll have my usual margarita and… hmm, maybe a mojito for Iggy?”

“You got it,” Aranea says, getting out two glasses and getting to work. “You really like him, don’t ya, blondie?”

Prompto looks over at Ignis, who’s consumed with something on his phone, gloved fingers tapping the screen gently. He smiles, returning his gaze back to Aranea. He could actually use this situation to his advantage -- Aranea’s the one person who he can actually be halfway  _ honest _ about this with. 

“Yeah. I’m… crazy about him,” Prompto admits, fiddling with his wristband that he’s secured back around his wrist. “I dunno what to do.”

“Well, I mean, you  _ are _ marrying him,” she points out with a sharp laugh, blending tequila with lemon and lime. “No big mystery there.”

“I know,” he says defensively. “Sometimes I… feel like I don’t tell him enough. Like he doesn’t know how bad it is, y’know?”

She finds this funny, throwing her head back and laughing the same way Prompto does. “Kid, not to be rude, but I think he’s a  _ little _ aware, seeing as he’s wearin’ your ring.”

Prompto’s heart twists in his chest. The ring might be real, but what it represents is fake, and he knows Aranea won’t understand. “True. Guess I’m overthinkin’ again. You know me, dude.”

Aranea slides the finished drinks to Prompto. She gives him a gentle smile. “Look, Prom. If you want him to know something? Tell him. Chances are he already knows, but… it always helps to hear it, y’know? Coming from the world’s  _ worst _ gal to talk to about  _ feelings… _ I can tell Ignis cares about you a lot. So tell him.”

Maybe Aranea  _ does _ understand; it’s not the  _ whole _ picture, but it’s enough.

“You really think so?” Prompto asks nervously.

“Oh, that’s a no-brainer, blondie. You should see how he looks at you when you’re not looking.” She laughs. “It’s actually  _ pretty _ adorable. And by adorable, I mean gross, of course.”

Prompto’s heart aches. He obviously has no idea how Ignis looks at him when he isn’t looking, but if  _ Aranea _ noticed, it’s probably only because there were others in the room. Prompto sighs, not knowing if he feels any better; in fact, he might feel a little worse, knowing that Ignis can fake it  _ that _ well. It’s like being teased with the real thing and never actually getting it.

Prompto takes the drinks Aranea made. “Of course,” he teases. “Thanks, ‘Nea.”

“No sweat, kid.”

“Things good with you and Cindy? Didn’t know you were into the whole… long-term relationship thing,” Prompto admits.

Aranea smiles. “I didn’t either. Well, I guess I am, but no one ever really seemed to… work well with me, I guess. Not ‘til Cindy. We’re awesome. The whole… engagement drama happening kinda has me thinking.”

Prompto’s eyes widen. “What?! Seriously? Marriage? With  _ you?! _ I think I’m gonna pass out, dude.”

Aranea reaches across the bar to flick him in the temple. “Shut up. Some people are just… worth it, y’know?”

Prompto hates that the first person he thinks about is  _ Ignis. _ He has no business to. He chews on his lip. “Yeah. Yeah, I get that. I am happy for you, ‘Nea. That’s so great.”

Aranea smiles sheepishly. “Thanks, Prom. Go have some fun for me, huh?”

Prompto smiles, grabbing Aranea’s drinks and heads over toward their booth to do just that. Ignis looks up from his phone as soon as Prompto returns. Prompto slides the mojito Ignis’s way as he sits next to him.

“Got you a mojito,” Prompto says. “Seemed kinda like something you’d like.”

Ignis smiles. “I love a good mojito.” He takes a sip. “My compliments to the bartender.”

Prompto laughs. “I’ll be sure to tell her when I get the next round.”

“Thank you. She was looking at me quite a lot. Is everything alright?” Ignis asks worriedly.

_ Oops _ .  _ Busted. _ Prompto takes a few long swigs of his margarita, loving the salty-sweet taste that hits his tongue.  _ Come on, Prompto. Think of something. _ “She was just askin’ how you were, so I was talking ‘bout our day.”

Ignis raises an eyebrow. “Good things, I presume?”

Prompto flushes. “Yeah. Real good. I was telling her about the photos I was taking and stuff.”

_ Nice save. _ Prompto sighs, taking a few more sips of alcohol, letting the fuzzy warmth flood his stomach. It’s a nice feeling, allowing him to relax.

Prompto watches Ignis take a few more sips of his drink, tilting his head back to give Prompto a full view of his neck, prominent adam’s apple bobbing as he swallows. Prompto wants to kiss along the entire length of it. It’s nice to know the alcohol has unfiltered his  _ already _ unfiltered brain.

“May I see them?” Ignis asks after he finishes drinking, meeting Prompto’s eyes.

“My photos? Uh, yeah, sure, Iggy!” Prompto pulls out his camera, handing it to Ignis. Their fingers touch, and it sends a spark of affection through Prompto.

Ignis is silent as he flips through Prompto’s camera. He comes across the photo they took today on the overlook, and he smiles gently.

“I quite like this one,” Ignis notes. “Your eyes look so bright. Has anyone told you that your eyes are beautiful?”

Prompto’s blood turns to ice, and he finishes what’s left of his margarita before answering. “Uh… I mean, not really? No.”

Ignis looks up, their eyes connecting. He seems to search Prompto’s eyes for a moment, taking in their appearance. “That’s a bloody shame. They’re exquisite.”

Prompto laughs, alcohol making him flush even easier. “Thanks, Iggy. Right back atcha. You make everything sound like a work of art with that fancy accent of yours.” His laugh turns into a giggle.

Ignis smirks, and it nearly knocks Prompto breathless as Ignis finishes off his drink as well. “Well, if the shoe fits, as they say…”

“Man, that almost sounded like a flirtation,” Prompto teases. “Want another one?”

Ignis still keeps that knowing smile, and conveniently doesn’t respond, which  _ totally _ isn’t frustrating at all for the guy who’s desperate to get  _ any _ attention from Iggy that he can get. “I would love another,” Ignis says. “Would you like me to get the next round?”

Ignis looks up just past Prompto’s shoulder, distracted enough to leave Prompto’s gaze. Prompto half-turns in their booth and sees Aranea with a fresh round of drinks for them. 

“Figured you guys could use some more,” she says, taking their empty glasses. “Didn’t wanna keep you guys apart.” She snorts.

Prompto, flushing more than ever, takes the drinks. “Thanks, sis.”

“Aranea.” Ignis nods. “It’s lovely to see you this evening.”

“Hey, Ignis.” She smirks, putting a hand on her hip while she holds the glasses in the other. “Keep that kid honest, won’t ya? Prompto’s a spark plug when he drinks.”

Ignis raises an eyebrow as he looks over at Prompto, who is probably flushing a violent red at this point. Ignis takes a sip of his fresh mojito, a tiny smile playing on his lips. “I shall do my best.”

“Don’t think you’ll have a lot to worry about, though. Blondie’s crazy for you,” Aranea teases. “I just like seeing how red the kid can get. You two have a good one. Come see me if you want another round.”

“Aranea, I hate you,” Prompto says to her, burying his face in his glass.

“You do not.” She laughs over her shoulder as she heads back to the bar.

Ignis chuckles once she’s out of earshot. “You two are adorable.”

“Shuddup. She likes to torture me,” Prompto whines. “You’re supposed to be on  _ my _ side, Iggy.”

“Of course I am,  _ darling,”  _ he teases. “What was she on about? It sounds as if she has some wonderful stories to tell about you.” He smirks.

“Okay, she found me making out with someone  _ once _ when I was drunk in high school and I never hear the end of it,” Prompto groans. “It happens.”

“Does it?” Still teasing.

Prompto wishes it  _ would. _ Ignis’s lips look more kissable than ever, and Prompto can’t help but lower his gaze to them, watching as Ignis’s tongue darts out to swipe at the sugar left on his lips from the drink.  _ Astrals _ , does Prompto want to taste it.

“What can I say,” Prompto laughs nervously, “I like kisses. Alcohol makes me a little less scared to ask for them.”

“I see,” Ignis decides. They’re both retreating to their drinks so much that Prompto could laugh at the fact that they’re both depleted nearly halfway already again. 

If Prompto has to watch Ignis’s perfect, soft,  _ pink _ lips touch the edge of his drink glass one more time, he’s going to implode. Prompto wonders if he can get away with asking, if the excuse is reasonable enough. Prompto figures it’s worth a try, liquid courage in his system.

“Speaking of,” Prompto drawls, scooting over to Ignis to press their legs together, “is Aranea looking over here?”

Ignis distractedly gazes over Prompto’s shoulder toward the bar before returning his gaze to Prompto with a heavy look in his eyes. “On occasion,” Ignis says. “Why do you ask?”

“I dunno. Are we being, like,  _ couple-y _ enough?”

Prompto’s attempt is so thinly veiled he doesn’t expect anyone to fall for it, but if Ignis doesn’t want it, then he can easily deny it. At least, that’s simple enough for Prompto’s goblin brain, especially with alcohol egging him on. He’s not drunk, not even  _ tipsy;  _ but he is feeling a little brave.

“I’m not certain,” Ignis decides. “Do you feel we are?”

Ignis puts a hand on Prompto’s knee, squeezing it with a gentle laugh. Prompto’s heart thuds in his chest just at  _ that _ simple touch, one that he’s felt from Ignis dozens of times.

“I mean, if she thinks I’m crazy about you, she’d definitely expect to see me all over you,” Prompto explains. “But, like… if this is enough…”

“By all means,” Ignis says, “I’m all yours.”

Ignis’s words are enough, just the tiniest lilt of suggestion in them that Prompto nearly  _ jumps _ at. However, it’s the look in Ignis’s eyes, that tiny fire in those slightly dilated pupils that has Prompto leaning into Ignis’s space, lips only an inch from one another. Prompto slides his hand up Ignis’s chest, up the warmth of his neck, so he can rest it on Ignis’s cheek.

“Heyaz,” Prompto whispers.

Ignis’s arm curls around Prompto’s waist, securing him to Ignis. “Hello, there.”

Blaming the tiny bit of alcohol in his system, he takes a moment to stare up at Ignis; the pretty green of his eyes that surround slightly dilated pupils, the perfect cupid’s bow lips, his sharp cheekbones. 

“Don’t take this the wrong way, dude,” Prompto whispers, not nearly as nervous as he should be to say something like this, “but you’re, like… one of the prettiest guys I’ve ever seen.”

Ignis lets out a tiny chuckle, so low Prompto can barely hear it. “Thank you, Prompto.” Ignis’s cheeks are considerably pink, but that could easily be from alcohol. “Funnily enough, I was thinking similarly about you.”

Prompto’s heart thuds. “Aw, me? I’m nothin’.” Prompto bites his lip. “You good? I’m gonna… go for it now.” He laughs nervously.

“As I said earlier,” Ignis whispers, “I’m all yours.”

Shit, Prompto really is in  _ way _ too deep.

Ignoring the way his heart hammers, Prompto closes the distance between them, then, eyes sliding closed as his mouth gently touches Ignis’s. Prompto rests his hand on Ignis’s cheek as if to hold him there as they kiss. Ignis’s lips are soft, pressing against Prompto’s with only slight hesitation. Prompto sighs internally, tilting his head as he tastes the mint and sugar from Ignis’s mojito on his mouth. It’s then when Ignis kisses back fully, pushing his mouth fervently against Prompto’s with a sort of gentle passion that Prompto’s never experienced before in a kiss.

Ignis lets out a soft hum against Prompto’s lips, reaching up to hold Prompto’s hand on his own cheek as he presses himself further into Prompto’s space. Prompto’s all too grateful for it; he loses himself for a moment. Prompto presses a few chaste kisses on his mouth before securing their lips together again, melting against Ignis’s mouth. Prompto presses his hand on Ignis’s cheek even harder, breathing a little heavy with nerves as he delivers more soft kisses against Ignis’s soft lips, unable to get enough of him.

All he wants to do is  _ deepen _ the kiss, to open his mouth so he can taste the sweetness on Ignis’s tongue. Prompto’s lips part, intending to do just that, inhaling sharply. Ignis doesn’t push him away; in fact his lips accommodate him, parting as well. Prompto’s about to slip his tongue into Ignis’s mouth--

Ignis’s phone starts to ring.

They both pull apart, a bit startled. Prompto feels his cheeks heat up, a little self-conscious for getting so carried away. Was he really about to start making out with Ignis under the transparent guise of Aranea  _ might _ not think they’re acting like a couple? He knows she couldn’t care less. He was being so sloppy.

“Apologies, Prompto, I’ll be a moment. It’s Regis,” Ignis says, looking a bit disheveled himself as he picks up his phone off the table.

“No, yeah, it’s cool! I’m gonna go get us another round, okay?” Prompto says quickly, sliding out of the booth. Prompto definitely needs some fresh air to clear his head.

Ignis nods in his direction, throwing a soft smile for Prompto’s benefit before bringing the phone to his ear.

Prompto heads to the bar, heart hammering in his chest. Prompto was about to shove his  _ tongue _ in Ignis’s mouth. What’s even worse is that Prompto is about ninety-percent sure that Ignis was going to  _ let _ him. Prompto looks over his shoulder at Ignis, who’s chatting away on his phone. Ignis doesn’t  _ look _ that bothered, other than how unkempt he looks right now; shirt slightly wrinkled, a few strands of hair falling forward onto his forehead. It’s so sad that all Prompto can think about is how beautiful he is, and how much he wishes that phone didn’t interrupt them so he could’ve known what Ignis’s tongue tastes like. He sighs.

He wonders how Ignis would feel if he knew how much of a gay crisis Prompto is having over him right at this very moment. Prompto thinks about the handjob he got from Ignis this morning, and how he didn’t reciprocate. He wonders, after that kiss, if Ignis would let him. Maybe he could just… get Ignis off, and it would get Ignis out of Prompto’s system. And if Ignis wanted it -- if Ignis wanted an orgasm out of it, at least -- it’d be a win-win situation.

“You look a little keyed up,” Aranea teases, removing Prompto from his thoughts. “I don’t care what you guys do, but try to keep it at  _ least _ PG-13, for my poor eyes’ sake.”

Prompto snorts, heat rising to his cheeks. “Sorry ‘bout that. We’ll behave.” He sighs.

“Want another round?” she asks.

“Sure, ‘Nea. Thanks.”

“No problem. I’m gonna just go to the bathroom and then get some more mint for Ignis’s drink and I’ll be back in like, five, okay? You can go sit down, I’ll bring ‘em to ya.”

Prompto hesitates. Ignis is still on the phone, and he doesn’t want to bother him. Besides, Prompto needs to get his thoughts together before he goes back to Ignis. He should probably apologize, maybe. That kiss got a little out of control.

“Can I just wait here? Don’t wanna disturb Iggy’s phone call,” Prompto says lamely.

Aranea shrugs. “Sure.”

Prompto sighs, hoisting himself up on a barstool so he can wait for Aranea to get back. He peeks over at Ignis, and he’s still on the phone, so Prompto pulls out his own, seeing a text message he must have not noticed he received.

** _Noct (9:12PM): _ ** _ duuude answer ur phone how’s everything going? _

Prompto sighs. Noct already knows -- well, a  _ little _ bit -- that Prompto at least finds Ignis easy on the eyes, to say the least. He might as well confide in him.

** _Prompto (9:43PM): _ ** _ uhhh. It’s great, it’s totaaally great. If i tell you something will you promise not to say anything to anyone? not even gladio? _

Noct must be bored at home, because his reply is nearly instant.

** _Noct (9:44PM): _ ** _ sure i promise _

Prompto types up his reply, wincing as he presses send.

** _Prompto (9:44PM): _ ** _ i think i have a thing for iggy. like, a huge one _

All Prompto gets in reply for a moment is a string of laughing emojis that Prompto proceeds to roll his eyes at. Then, a few more responses cause his phone to nearly vibrate off of the bar.

** _Noct (9:45PM): _ ** _ lmao ur kidding right _

** _Noct (9:45PM): _ ** _ ive known that for like a year _

** _Noct (9:46PM): _ ** _ ever since u stared at his ass at my place for like 10 straight mins and then u bent over backwards to keep him happy _

** _Noct (9:46PM): _ ** _ just tell him dude _

Prompto’s stomach churns. He chews on his bottom lip, not sure what to say. It’d probably be wrong to tell Ignis, when he knows Ignis can’t exactly  _ escape _ him right now. He’ll tell him when they get back to Insomnia, for sure. At least Prompto’s made a decision about that; it makes him feel a little better.

** _Prompto (9:47PM): _ ** _ maybe when we get back. I don’t wanna freak him out. Ugh i hate myself. How are things with gladio? He asked me about you at work the other day _

Prompto watches the three dots on his phone absentmindedly, indicating Noctis is replying. 

** _Noct (9:48PM): _ ** _ i dont think u can freak specs out dude. we’re good tho i think we’re trying things slow maybe. idk _

Prompto’s about to reply, thinking of what to say to let his best friend know that he’s absolutely freaking out about this. He doesn’t realize someone’s sat next to him until the stranger begins to speak.

“Hey there, sweetheart,” the stranger says, leaning  _ much _ too far into Prompto’s space.

Prompto leans away, laughing nervously -- damn his coping mechanism. “Uh, hi.”

Prompto looks over, hoping Aranea will come back from the back room already. The last thing he needs is someone trying to hit on him, especially when he needs to look like he’s with Ignis and not looking to hook up with someone.

Prompto chances a glance at the stranger, and he’s a little older than Prompto, closer to what looks like 35 or so. The look in his eyes tells Prompto the guy isn’t really interested in him for his personality. 

“You’re really cute,” the guy continues despite Prompto’s discomfort. “Buy you a drink?”

Prompto smiles tensely, placing his hand with his ring finger on the bar to prominently display to the stranger; maybe if he thinks that Prompto is taken, he’ll back off.

“I, uh, don’t think the bartender’s here right now,” Prompto says awkwardly. “But thanks.”

“I don’t mind waiting,” the man purrs. “I really like your freckles.”

Prompto hates that he flushes as a nervous response, too.  _ Come on, Aranea, where are you? _ He really doesn’t want Ignis to kick his ass for appearing to flirt with someone else right now.

Prompto taps his ring on the bar, drawing more attention to it as he runs his ring hand through his hair --  _ anything _ to get the guy to notice he’s taken (hypothetically). 

Prompto looks over his shoulder over at Ignis. Ignis still has his phone to his ear, but his eyes are pointedly staring at Prompto and the stranger, his brow furrowed. Ignis’s eyes lock with Prompto’s, and Prompto throws him a slightly panicked look. The frown on Ignis’s face deepens, as he seems to hurry through his phone conversation, moving to slide out of the booth. Gods, Prompto hopes he isn’t mad at him.

Apparently, the guy doesn’t take the hint despite Prompto’s obvious discomfort -- whether he’s too stupid to notice or doesn’t care -- and he leans in further. It causes Prompto to break eye contact with Ignis as he focuses on keeping the guy at a distance. Prompto can smell the alcohol on his breath; that explains  _ that _ . Prompto leans away from him, but the guy brushes his hand against Prompto’s. “C’mon. I’ll buy you a drink, we can have some fun.”

Prompto sighs, knowing he’s going to have to be a little rude. “Sorry, dude. Not interested. I’m engaged.” He holds up his ring finger pointedly. “Was trying to be polite.”

The tiniest flash of anger appears in the stranger’s eyes, and Prompto prepares for a fight when the guy relaxes instead, smirking again. “I don’t see anyone around. I won’t tell if you won’t.” He starts to pull on Prompto’s bicep, pulling him into the man’s space.

Prompto frowns, sliding off the barstool, moving his arm away from the stranger. “Dude. I said  _ no. _ I’m outta here.”

“C’mon, don’t be like that,” the guy insists, tugging on Prompto’s bicep a little rougher. It’s not enough to hurt, but it’s enough to cause Prompto to stumble a little.

A gloved hand grips the stranger’s wrist tightly enough to cause the stranger to let go of Prompto’s bicep, the man grunting in pain.

The next thing Prompto hears is Ignis’s elegant accent, cold and sharp enough to cut glass. “Touch my fiancé again without his permission, and I will break your bloody arm. Do I make myself clear?” His voice is low and dangerously even.

The threat in Ignis’s voice is apparent even without paying attention to what he says. Prompto suppresses a shudder; he’d hate to be on the receiving end of  _ that _ . Prompto’s a little floored that Ignis is  _ this _ protective. Prompto takes advantage of it, stepping behind Ignis.

“I-Iggy, it’s okay,” Prompto whispers, touching Ignis’s arm gently. “I’m okay.”

Ignis doesn’t respond with words, but instead steps in front of Prompto further, his free arm reaching back to grip Prompto’s hand. Prompto holds onto it tightly, trying to keep Ignis from seriously hurting anyone. He’s never seen Ignis this upset before, and Prompto shouldn’t feel flattered, but he does. Gods, he really is a goblin.

Aranea finally shows up, Prompto notices out of the corner of his eye. She’s holding the supplies she needed from the back room before she sets them down to raise an eyebrow at the scene before her. She doesn’t think twice before she looks at the man causing all the trouble. Prompto relaxes even more knowing she’s here, too.

“You got two choices. You can get the hell out of here on your own, or I can beat your ass and throw you out myself. Which one’s it gonna be?” Aranea asks coldly.

The man pulls away from Ignis’s tight grip, sliding off the barstool. He throws a glare at Prompto but doesn’t say anything else, leaving the way he came in.

Ignis turns to Prompto, his eyes searching Prompto’s with their hands still intertwined. Prompto looks down at the ground sheepishly, not knowing if Ignis is upset for letting that escalate. Prompto feels pressure on his chin, Ignis’s free hand tilting his chin upward so Prompto meets his gaze again. The move is so unexpected, Prompto’s heart pounds as he looks up into Ignis’s eyes. Ignis is still so visibly upset; his lips pressed into a tight line, frowning, expression filled with worry.

“Prompto, are you alright?” Ignis whispers, his voice low but without that coldness from earlier.

“Yeah, I’m good, Iggy,” Prompto says. He reaches up and grasps Ignis’s wrist gently, almost as if to hold him there. “You saved me.” He doesn’t know why his voice sounds so surprised.

Ignis frowns further, tilting his head quizzically at Prompto. He pulls Prompto into his arms, hugging him tightly against his chest. “Of course I did, darling. I apologize for not being here sooner,” Ignis says fervently.

Prompto wraps his arms around Ignis immediately, taking advantage of the affection Ignis is giving him despite being unsure where it’s even coming from. Prompto figures it’s because Aranea is here more than anything else, but it doesn’t stop him from resting his head on Ignis’s chest, sighing softly. He melts into the man’s embrace, happy to have Ignis to support him, to  _ care _ enough to support him. He swears he can hear Ignis’s heartbeat over the bar music, and it calms him a little. Ignis’s fingers start to gently stroke his hair, and Prompto almost wants to  _ whine _ , leaning further into the gentle touch.

“Don’t apologize, Iggy, I could’ve handled it,” Prompto murmurs softly against Ignis. “But thank you.”

“You needn’t thank me for that, love.”

Prompto closes his eyes for a moment, trying to remind himself that the term of endearment is just because Aranea’s near. He sighs.

“You alright, shortcake?” Aranea asks, apparently taking advantage of the lull in conversation.

Prompto looks over at his sister, practically forgetting she’s still standing there. “Yeah. Thanks, ‘Nea. Just an asshole, no biggie.”

“If I see him again, I’ll kick his ass,” she promises. Prompto could easily believe that.

Prompto laughs. “Don’t worry, me too.”

Prompto feels lips at his hair; Ignis pressing a soft kiss to the top of his head. Prompto sighs again at the affection, feeling touch-starved now more than ever. Prompto doesn’t even care if it’s for show; he’s a little rattled and he wants to relish this all he wants. 

“Shall we stay a bit, or shall I take us home?” Ignis whispers into Prompto’s ear.

Prompto fully intended on kicking back and having another round of drinks with Ignis, maybe coaxing another kiss out of those beautiful lips of his -- but when Ignis asks to take  _ them _ home, that’s all Prompto wants to do now. He wants to show Ignis how grateful he is; he wants to make Ignis feel  _ good. _ He pulls away from Ignis’s embrace only enough to look up at Ignis.

“Can we go?” Prompto asks gently.

“Anything you’d like,” Ignis promises.

“Take care of him, Ignis,” Aranea says once she realizes they’re leaving. 

“I certainly will.”

“You sure you’re okay, shortcake?” she asks.

“Uh huh,” Prompto promises. “I just wanna be with Iggy.” That’s not even a lie, Prompto realizes as he chews on his lip.

She nods. “G’night you two. Stay safe.” 

“You, as well. Farewell, Aranea,” Ignis says.

Ignis separates the two of them, but reaches down to grab Prompto’s hand before they head out of the bar and toward the other side of town. Prompto doesn’t want to let go of him, but he knows it’s possible once other people aren’t around to see them.

Ignis doesn’t let go, much to Prompto’s delight. Prompto grips his hand as tightly as he can in response.

“So, uh, are you okay, Igs?” Prompto asks hesitantly as they walk.

“I should be asking you that question,” he says tensely. “I’m quite alright, now that I know that you are safe.”

“I didn’t know you were gonna show up, I thought I was gonna have to hit him,” Prompto says with a snort. “I’m really sorry you had to do that.”

“Prompto, what happened there wasn’t your fault. I seem to find myself rather concerned about your safety,” Ignis admits, “perhaps more than I should.”

Prompto remembers how protective he was, and how  _ possessive _ he decided to be. Sure, it was to get the guy to be less interested, nothing more; but Prompto can’t help but feel a flood of arousal at it. Prompto’s always been a horny goblin, and seeing the sexiest man he’s ever laid eyes on  _ fight _ for him, even for show, goes straight to his crotch, apparently.

Prompto flushes. “I’m glad you protected me.”

Ignis squeezes his hand, looking over at Prompto. “I’m glad I didn’t upset you.”

Prompto frowns. “Why would it upset me? I… I liked it.” He tucks his bottom lip between his teeth, glancing over at Ignis.

Ignis’s expression is hard to read, but he doesn’t look upset, at least. “I did as well.” Ignis sighs. “I didn’t wish to be too much for you.”

“Igster, I don’t think that’s possible.” He laughs. “Trust me.”

Ignis huffs out a stressed laugh. “I’ll take your word for it, Prompto.”

Prompto’s thumb brushes along the back of Ignis’s hand reassuringly. “Good.”

It doesn’t take them long to reach Prompto’s house, hands still entwined together. They ended up staying a little later at the bar, so Cor’s already asleep by the time they arrive. It’s the perfect time to spend a little alone time with Ignis, to suggest what Prompto’s heart -- and crotch, if he’s honest -- very much wants.

Prompto shuts his bedroom door, and locks it. His heart thuds in his chest, adrenaline pumping through him at the thought of asking to touch Ignis like this. He has  _ no _ idea how Ignis managed to this morning without collapsing. Prompto turns to face Ignis, watching Ignis’s eyebrow raise at Prompto locking the door.

“Iggy, can I…” Prompto trails off, a little nervous. “Um, you know how… uh…” He starts to laugh at his inability to get the words out.

Ignis raises an eyebrow, sitting on the bed and patting the space next to him. “Out with it, Prompto,” he teases. “What’s the matter?”

Prompto sits on the bed next to him. He can feel Ignis’s body heat radiating off of him at this close proximity. “This morning, when you…” Prompto stops to take a deep breath.

There’s just the slightest pause, a brief hesitation. “... Yes?” Ignis clearly can guess where he’s going with this.

“You did me that  _ favor _ , y’know, and I… I offered to do it to you, uh…” Prompto manages. 

He looks over at Ignis, who looks merely curious. “You didn’t need to,” Ignis explains. “What is this regarding?”

“Well, I know I don’t  _ need _ to,” Prompto laughs. “But um, I kinda want to. I  _ do _ want to. Um, y’know. If you do.”

Ignis seems surprised. “You’d like to… touch me?”

Prompto flushes. If his heart could beat any harder, it’d gallop out of his chest. He reaches over, putting a hand on Ignis’s thigh. “Y-yeah. I wanna thank you… for what you did… and I wanna make you feel good, like you did with me. If you want it, obvs. Ha, sorry, I’m a little nervous.”  _ That _ would be an understatement. The tiny bit of alcohol in his system helps, at least.

Ignis is silent for a moment. “I appreciate the offer, Prompto, but you needn’t thank me for that,” Ignis says gently. His tone doesn’t have that usual confidence -- he’s nervous too, Prompto guesses. “You may touch me, if you’d like.” Ignis hesitates. “But you certainly should not feel obligated.”

“Yeah, I know, I don’t feel obligated,” Prompto insists. The hand on Ignis’s thigh slides higher,  _ agonizingly _ slow, Prompto wanting to test the waters. “But  _ you _ … wanna… feel good, right?”

The further up Ignis’s thigh that Prompto’s hand travels, the quicker Ignis’s breathing increases. Prompto peeks over at his face. Ignis’s lips are parted gently, eyes half-lidded as he leans back to allow Prompto to continue.

“Very much so, Prompto.”

Excitement starts to reign over nervousness, now that he knows Ignis wants this, maybe as much as Prompto does -- for different reasons, of course; after all, who doesn’t want an orgasm? Prompto just wants  _ Ignis _ ; in any way that he can. Maybe Prompto can talk about a friends with benefits type of deal with Ignis if he enjoys this afterwards.

Prompto’s hand can’t really slide up any further; there’s not really any turning back now. Prompto moves his hand over to Ignis’s groin, brushing against Ignis through his pants and Prompto bites back a moan when he realizes Ignis is half-hard already.

Maybe Ignis wants this more than he originally thought.

As soon as Prompto’s hand starts massaging Ignis’s cock through his pants, Prompto can hear Ignis suck in a quick breath through his teeth. Prompto can remember  _ that _ feeling very well from this morning. Prompto feels his own arousal curl through him as he feels just how  _ big _ Ignis's cock is underneath his fingers, growing in hardness underneath his touch.

“This okay?” Prompto whispers.

“Y-yes,” Ignis stammers. Prompto’s never heard  _ that _ before.

Prompto doesn’t miss the way Ignis’s legs spread ever so slightly underneath Prompto’s touch. He puts pressure on the outline of Ignis’s cock, and it’s safe to say that Ignis is fully hard now; Prompto can feel every inch of it underneath his fingertips, and he’s never wanted to taste something more in his life.

Ignis’s phone starts ringing and vibrating in his pocket. Prompto retreats for a moment, not wanting to cross any boundaries, when Ignis lets out a sigh of defeat, holding up one finger. “A moment, Prompto.” The disappointment in his tone is obvious.

So, Prompto drops to his knees.

Ignis looks down at him incredulously, clearly surprised that  _ this _ is what Prompto had in mind. He’s already pressed the accept button on the call; he can’t say anything  _ to _ Prompto. Prompto can’t help but grin up at him as Ignis presses the phone to his ear and manages a weak, “Hello?”

Prompto reaches out to unbuckle Ignis’s belt, fully intent on continuing despite Ignis trying to pay attention to the phone call he’s having. With the way he’s speaking, ever so formally, he assumes Ignis is talking to Regis or someone like that. Prompto doesn’t really care. His own cock aches in his jeans just to  _ see _ Ignis’s dick. As soon as the belt comes loose, he starts to unbutton Ignis’s pants, slowly unzipping him.

“Yes, I apologize, I was on a slight delay this evening,” Ignis answers whoever is on the phone, voice only slightly strained.

Instead of Ignis stopping him, he leans back,  _ just _ enough for Prompto to have full access to him. That’s enough permission for Prompto; he gently tugs on Ignis’s shirt enough to untuck it. His fingers find their way underneath his shirt, accidentally brushing against the soft skin of Ignis’s stomach and he has to bite back the urge to whimper -- especially when Ignis’s voice wavers halfway through the sentence in the middle of his call. Prompto’s fingers eagerly slide underneath Ignis’s boxers and he finds his prize, Prompto wraps his hand around Ignis’s cock and  _ squeezes. _

“Yes, it will be ready on--” Ignis’s breathing hitches, “--  _ Wednesday --  _ at the latest. _ ” _

Prompto pulls Ignis’s hard cock out of his pants, wanting to see everything the man has to offer. Prompto could probably write sonnets about the pretty shade of pink Ignis’s cock is right now, flushed with arousal. At his full hardness, it curves just  _ slightly _ to the left and Prompto can’t help but think how good it would feel to have it inside him.

Prompto starts to stroke him; he’s not good at being slow like Ignis, but he makes up for it in  _ pressure _ . He grips Ignis’s cock tighter on every upstroke, and it’s not long before it beads precome at the tip, flushed even redder now that Prompto’s given him attention. His cock feels so  _ good _ in Prompto’s hand, he can’t imagine stopping. It’s warm and firm and the tiny hitches in Ignis’s breathing reward his own arousal trapped in his pants in  _ spades. _

As soon as Prompto picks up the pace, he notices Ignis’s hips gently rolling forward -- it’s a subtle gesture, like he’s scared to do anything extreme. He chances a glance upward, and sees the prettiest part in Ignis’s lips as he pretends to have control of the situation, his cheeks even pinker than the last time Prompto looked at his face.

“I’m-- I’ve…” Ignis stops speaking in order to remember to breathe, “I’ve prepared for that outcome, yes, but I have no doubts it will--”

Instead of slicking up Ignis’s cock with his precome like Ignis had done to him this morning, Prompto wants to  _ taste _ it. He leans in, not yet making contact with his mouth but hovering, looking up at Ignis, making sure it’s okay. He makes sure that he breathes against Ignis’s cock; he remembers how good that feels on the other end as he stares up at Ignis.

Prompto has the pleasure of watching Ignis’s eyes slide closed, unaware he’s being watched as he responds. “--be exact...ly… as we’ve… planned…” Ignis murmurs, absolutely ruining his bottom lip in the process with his teeth.

Prompto can’t help but giggle; he’s never heard Ignis so utterly  _ disheveled. _ Their eyes lock, and there’s a desperate look in Ignis’s eyes; this isn’t like the handjob this morning -- Ignis  _ needs _ this. Prompto’s brought him past a breaking point, and he has no intention of stopping. Prompto places teasing kisses on Ignis’s thighs; he knows Ignis is so lost in the moment -- and his phone call -- that he won’t even notice, perched at the edge of the bed like his life depends on it.

Ignis looks up at the ceiling, trying to focus on the call. Prompto laughs, low enough to not interrupt Ignis’s call. It’s only a  _ little _ funny, trying to get your coworker off during a business call, when all Prompto really wants to do is taste him.

Prompto closes the distance then. He grips the base of Ignis’s cock; that alone emits a soft sigh from Ignis as he holds the phone away to do so. Prompto doesn’t wait, though. He leans in, tongue darting out to lick a gentle stripe up the underside of Ignis’s cock. His cock is  _ so _ hard against his tongue, and Prompto only wants  _ more _ .

“No, that won’t be--” Ignis inhales sharply, “-- _ necessary _ .”

Taking this as the initiative to continue, Prompto’s tongue runs along Ignis’s cock until he reaches the tip, the salty tang of precome gathering on his tongue. Prompto takes the head of Ignis’s cock into his mouth, unable to wait any longer as he hollows his cheeks, sucking onto the tip of Ignis’s arousal as much as he can.

“I,” Ignis breathes into the phone, “I’ll…”

It’s clear Ignis can’t properly converse right now. Prompto continues his attention with his mouth on the head of Ignis’s cock, looking up at him innocently. He wonders what Ignis will  _ do; _ he’s never seen him like this, obviously. 

“Yes, that sounds p-perfect. I’ll call you in the morning, yes?” Ignis asks, voice strained. 

Hearing those pretty stutters out of Ignis’s usually stoic accent hardens Prompto’s dick even more. He’s pretty sure he’s fully hard, or at least close to it. His own cock presses insistently against his zipper almost painfully, and Prompto  _ loves _ it. He swirls his tongue around the warm head of Ignis’s cock more, adding pressure just underneath the crown. 

“Yes, I’m fine,” Ignis lies on the phone.

Prompto can’t help but gently laugh against Ignis’s cock despite his mouth being occupied; Prompto’s tongue is enough to cause someone else to notice the strain in Ignis’s voice, so he must be doing pretty well so far. The vibrations from Prompto’s laughter must feel good to Ignis, as his hips roll forward just enough to push his cock further into Prompto’s mouth. Prompto lets out a noise of surprise at Ignis’s eagerness.

Their eyes lock as soon as Prompto peeks upward. Ignis mouths, “Sorry.” It has no business being as sexy as it is; of course someone like Ignis would  _ apologize _ for getting too eager. Prompto feels his own arousal start to leak in his jeans as he doesn’t break eye contact. He doesn’t respond to Ignis’s apology with words; instead he slowly starts to take more of Ignis’s cock in his mouth. The warmth and weight of Ignis’s arousal feels so  _ good _ to Prompto on his tongue, he wants to take his time. Prompto, still gazing up at Ignis seductively (Prompto  _ obviously _ will blame it on the alcohol for sure), places both hands on the tops of Ignis’s thighs and lowers his head further to take most of the man’s length into his mouth.

The softest of gasps leave Ignis’s lips, and the noise is so beautiful -- it wavers and parts his lips so nicely Prompto could spend all night coaxing that noise out of him. It’s so soft that he’s not sure if whoever is on the other end of the call even noticed, but  _ Astrals _ , did Prompto notice.

“Y-yes, Wednesday, that’s--  _ correct--”  _ Ignis gasps when Prompto starts to swirl his tongue around the shaft of his cock, adding more pressure than just the warmth of his mouth. “I shall see you then.”

Ignis has never looked so grateful to hang up a phone in his entire life; he tosses the phone across the bed, completely forgotten as he melts backwards against the bed, propping himself on his elbows.

“Astrals  _ above,  _ ah-- _ ” _ Ignis moans, low and drawn out, like he’d been holding that in for so long during that phone call. 

Prompto can’t help but feel a little proud of himself for causing Ignis to break down that much just by using his tongue. His nails dig into Ignis’s thighs as he really starts to go to town. He starts a quicker pace, bobbing himself on Ignis’s cock, massaging his arousal with his lips as he uses his tongue on every upward movement to put pressure on Ignis’s cock. Prompto can taste precome every time his tongue swirls around the head, and Prompto’s happy to drink it up -- a reward for doing so well.

Ignis’s fingers dig into the bed, throwing his head back with his eyes closed and lips parted slightly, a flush of arousal teasing his cheeks. Prompto’s never seen someone so beautiful in his entire life, and with Ignis’s eyes closed, he can stare at him all he wants.

Prompto hollows his cheeks and sucks a little rougher than before, and Ignis’s hips jerk forward in response, watching as Ignis bites his lip to keep his soft moan to a lower volume. The sudden movement pushes more of Ignis’s cock into his throat than he can handle, so he chokes a little, but Prompto  _ loves _ it. He loves it rough; his cock is aching in his pants and all he can think about is how much he wants Ignis to fuck his face until there’s tears streaming down his cheeks. Prompto whimpers in arousal, letting his tongue dart out along Ignis’s length as his cock hits the back of his throat.

“Bloody hell,” Ignis pants. “ _ Please.” _

Prompto nearly comes in his pants at the plead -- soft but demanding. Prompto wants to beg him -- ‘_Please what?_ _What can I do to absolutely break you?’_ \-- but he doesn’t. Instead, he moves a hand off Ignis’s thigh to grab Ignis’s hand digging into the bedspread. He takes Ignis’s hand and places it on the top of Prompto’s head, a wordless plead -- _pull my hair, please, make me yours._

Ignis groans, immediately obeying, digging his fingers into Prompto’s scalp and tugging on Prompto’s hair, gripping it like his life depends on it. He even takes his free hand to join the other on Prompto’s hair, cradling his head as he gets lost in his own arousal. Prompto picks up the pace, groaning against Ignis’s cock as he takes him all the way again, loving the sound of himself choking on his cock. He shouldn’t be doing this; he shouldn’t be  _ enjoying _ this so much and that’s half the arousal for Prompto -- loving this so damn much when he knows he shouldn’t.

Ignis’s grip on Prompto’s hair tightens, inhaling sharply as he rolls his hips forward again, increasing the pace that Prompto sucks on his cock. Prompto  _ loves _ it; his own cock is throbbing so hard in his jeans it’s definitely hurting now. He’ll have ruined his boxers at this point, and he doesn’t even  _ care. _ Prompto reaches down to palm at his own dick, needing some relief as he feels Ignis take over the pace for Prompto entirely, slowly fucking into Prompto’s mouth as soft, shaky breaths leave Ignis’s lips.

Prompto whimpers in arousal when Ignis takes the reigns, pulling Prompto’s hair roughly. Prompto’s jaw slackens, allowing Ignis to take whatever pace he wants. Ignis seems to get the message, as his hips jerk forward to fuck into Prompto’s mouth desperately. The head of Ignis’s cock hits the back of Prompto’s throat hard and he chokes again, nails dragging against Ignis’s thighs roughly as he takes it all for him, moaning fervently around the cock in his mouth.

“ _ Oh,” _ Ignis gasps, fucking into the wet heat of Prompto’s mouth.  _ “Prompto.” _

Prompto looks up, and Ignis looks absolutely mortified that he’s accidentally moaned Prompto’s name. Prompto’s cock starts to throb more intensely, that familiar pleasure pooling low in his stomach at the sound of Ignis moaning his name and he can’t stop himself. He groans around the cock in his mouth as he feels his own cock start to spill in his jeans, coming hard and  _ completely _ untouched as Prompto continues to suck him off. Prompto whimpers in surprise, trembling a little through his orgasm as he swirls his tongue around Ignis’s cock. Ignis probably has nail marks in his thighs as he claws them while riding his orgasm out, arching his back slightly with the intensity of it. He slots his dick against Ignis’s leg through his jeans, as Prompto loves pressure on his cock as he comes. It feels so good he can hardly stop himself from allowing a little bit of drool to escape the corner of his lips as he continues to encourage the rougher pace Ignis has set.

“ _ Astrals, _ have you just--” Ignis can’t even finish his sentence. Prompto feels Ignis’s cock throb on his tongue and Ignis tries to push Prompto’s head off of him, not wanting to come in his mouth without permission. Prompto resists, wanting to taste every drop of come that he’s earned from Ignis. Prompto moves his head to suck on the tip, and Ignis’s resolve completely disappears. “Wait, I’m--  _ ah--”  _

Prompto’s rewarded with the salty tang of cum hitting his tongue. Prompto grips the base of Ignis’s cock in order to hold it steady so he can drink every drop from the tip. He moans at the taste, watching Ignis tremble as he comes. Ignis melts back into the bed, the grip on Prompto’s hair turning soft, gentle; stroking Prompto’s hair affectionately as he’s found his release, the softest of moans tumbling from his lips as he slowly pumps his cum into Prompto’s mouth. He has to swallow twice to get it all, and he’s  _ definitely _ drooling around Ignis’s length as he laps up Ignis’s seed.

Ignis’s breathing starts to calm, pace slowing as he moves his hands off of Prompto’s head. He lays down on the bed, completely spent as he tries to calm himself. Prompto slides his mouth up and off of Ignis’s softening dick, making sure to gather any cum left before he pulls off with ease. Prompto tucks Ignis’s dick back in his pants, zipping him up as he gets up off the floor.

Prompto’s legs waver a little as he stands; it’s been a  _ long _ time since Prompto’s come in his pants, and the wet spot on his jeans is kind of embarrassing now that his post-orgasm high is starting to level out. 

“Bloody hell,” Ignis breathes, staring at the ceiling. “I… I apologize for my behavior, I got rather carried away. You’re… quite good at that.”

Prompto laughs nervously, knowing he’s crossed  _ so _ many boundaries and  _ then _ some. “Awww, thanks, Igster! It’s pretty fun for me. You okay?” he asks, shocked at how rough his voice sounds after their play.

Ignis lets out a breathless laugh, still looking dazed. “I’m quite alright. I, er… thank you, Prompto.”

“Anytime, dude!” Prompto says, still trying not to laugh so much. He’s totally making it weirder by laughing after a ‘platonic’ blowjob, but he can’t help the nervous response. “Are, uh,  _ we _ okay? That wasn’t, like, wrong of me, was it?”

Ignis finally looks over at him, regaining the ability to at least lift his head. His expression is one of surprise, and Prompto has no idea why. “Why would that be wrong? That was… wonderful, to say the  _ very _ least.”

After all  _ that _ , after Prompto had Ignis’s dick practically lodged in his throat, he’s flushing at a simple compliment. Prompto really doesn’t understand himself sometimes. “I’m, uh, happy to help.” He laughs. “I  _ totally _ need to shower now, though, dude. I can’t believe I made a mess like this.”

A gentle chuckle comes from the bed, and Prompto notices Ignis has laid back down, clearly not in any capacity to move just yet. “It was rather flattering, if that isn’t too forward of me to say.”

Prompto practically gnaws his bottom lip off. “O-oh. I’m… glad?” He laughs. 

“Was that inappropriate to say?”

Prompto snorts. “I  _ juuust _ had your dick in my mouth, dude. You don’t gotta worry about being inappropriate, Igster.”

Another soft laugh, so low Prompto barely notices it. “Duly noted.”

“I’ll be right backsies.”

As soon as Prompto closes the door to the bathroom, he exhales all the tension he’s holding. He brushes his teeth as the shower warms up, realizing that he’s practically getting rid of all the evidence of what just happened. Prompto has no idea how he feels about that.

As he lets the warm water of the shower calm him down, his brain kicks into overdrive. That, without a doubt, was one of the hottest experiences of his life, but all he can think about is Ignis; how beautiful he looked, how perfect the noises he made were, how he  _ moaned _ Prompto’s  _ name. _ Prompto wonders if it was just the heat of the moment, or maybe Ignis felt something too. Prompto doesn’t want to get his hopes up, but sometimes, if he looks through hope-filled lenses, it feels like there are moments where Ignis might feel…  _ close _ to Prompto, too. He knows he’s made things more complicated for himself with the blowjob, but he can’t bring himself to regret it. Prompto doesn’t think he’ll experience anything like that ever again. Prompto can almost feel the ghost of Ignis’s hands in his hair still, pulling, caressing, and  _ guiding. _

Prompto turns the water off as soon as he’s done washing up, shaking himself from those thoughts before he gets another awkward boner while thinking about Ignis. He only hopes he can continue the rest of this long weekend without making a total idiot out of himself.

He picks up his phone off the counter and finds another text from Noct.

** _Noct (10:43 PM): _ ** _ hey specs told me u guys had some trouble tonite at the bar? U ok? _

Prompto grins. The timestamp is from when Prompto was in the shower, so he knows Ignis must have told him while he’s been in the bathroom. He doesn’t know why he’s so flattered at that. Prompto types up a reply.

** _Prompto (11:02 PM): _ ** _ yeah oh man iggy like… almost killed this dude who was being a creep. it was like… super hot ngl _

** _Noct (11:04 PM): _ ** _ oh damn dude im glad ur alright tho. R u at home? _

** _Prompto (11:05): _ ** _ yeah i may or may not have just blown iggy in my childhood bedroom as a thank you lmao _

** _Noct (11:06): _ ** _ omg prom holy fuck im so proud man _

Prompto sighs. He’s definitely going to have to tell Ignis about his feelings when they get home, though. Prompto’s got it  _ bad. _ He can’t believe he let this happen.

With a sigh, he changes into his chocobo ranch t-shirt and a fresh pair of boxers -- he flushes to himself when he remembers what happened to his previous pair -- and heads out of the bathroom.

Ignis is already wearing his sleepwear, another tank top and pair of sweatpants, but Ignis looks so different right now. His hair is completely down, almost covering his forehead entirely. The usually perfectly styled array of ash blonde hair was all but completely disheveled after the blowjob, so it makes sense why Ignis would want to put it down all the way now. Prompto simply can’t get over how gorgeous Ignis looks right now, natural like this, absentmindedly scrolling through his phone, looking completely at ease. He’s not seen Ignis look so relaxed  _ ever. _ He’s moved to ‘his’ side of the bed by now, the covers on Prompto’s side overturned as well, almost like an invitation to join him.

Prompto sighs. He  _ wishes _ it was an invitation, though Prompto knows it’s just Ignis being polite again, as per usual.

Still, Prompto takes that opportunity to crawl into bed next to Ignis, tucking himself under the covers. 

“Heyaz,” Prompto says gently.

“Hello indeed,” Ignis responds, finally looking up from his phone and over at Prompto. “Have you had a pleasant shower?”

“I did,” Prompto says. “You look nice like this.”

Ignis raises an eyebrow. “In sleepwear?” His tone teases, and Prompto’s heart fills with affection at the fact things aren’t really that awkward despite what they just did earlier.

Prompto laughs. “Well, sure, those are great, but… your hair down, it looks good. Not that it doesn’t look nice all styled and spikey and stuff… but you look really relaxed. You look… uh, handsome.” He snorts at his own awkwardness.

Ignis, despite his earlier teasing, softens his expression. “That’s very kind of you, Prompto. You look lovely as well, as you always do.”

Prompto really has to put a lid on this whole crush thing; at this rate, his heart constantly speeding up is going to send him into some sort of cardiac arrest. “Aww, you’re too sweet, Igster.”

Ignis chuckles. “I do try. I have a proposition for you.”

Prompto’s eyes widen, suddenly getting nervous. “Oh, yeah? What’s that?”

“No need to be nervous,” Ignis teases as he scoots a bit closer to Prompto. “Earlier, you mentioned a desire to hear classical music. I thought I’d play one of my favorite pieces for you before bed. Unless if you’re too tired, of course.” 

Prompto nearly jumps into a more seated position. “Really? You’d do that for me?”

“It doesn’t take much effort.” Ignis laughs. “Would you like to?”

Prompto grins. “Hell yeah, Iggy.”

Prompto watches Ignis pull up a music app on his phone, scrolling through a long list of songs and artists. Prompto can’t quite make out what the songs are even with his glasses on, as Ignis scrolls way too fast.

Ignis presses one of the songs, turning up the volume on his phone as a pretty, gentle piano tune starts to play. “I thought I’d start you off with something rather soothing.”

Prompto nods, not wanting to talk and break the serenity in the room that the piano piece brings. There’s no other instruments other than piano, which isn’t what Prompto expected, but it’s gorgeous, to say the least.

“This is pretty,” Prompto whispers. “Just piano?”

“For now, yes,” Ignis says, voice just as soft. “This is a Chopin nocturne.”

“Huh,” Prompto says contemplatively, pretending he knows what those words mean. “Like… a lullaby?”

Ignis looks over at Prompto with a soft smile. “Of sorts, yes. It sounds rather romantic, doesn’t it? Dreamlike? Perfect for sleep, wouldn’t you say?”

Prompto could listen to Ignis talk about this for hours, he’s not even kidding. The gentle, relaxing piano tune combined with the deep timbre of Ignis’s voice could definitely ease Prompto into a calming sleep. “Yeah.”

“Nocturnes have somewhat of a romantic narrative. If you can imagine it, it tells a story,” Ignis explains. “It’s what I rather like about instrumentals, classical or otherwise. No lyrics to sway your thoughts. Simply one’s own imagination.”

Prompto’s heart thuds. “Like a love story?”

“Precisely.”

They’re quiet for a few moments, letting the soft song fill the room. Prompto never thought he’d be entertained by this kind of music, but Prompto finds himself loving it, whether it’s because of Ignis or if it’s pretty in its own right. Prompto supposes it’s a bit of both.

Prompto chances a glance at Ignis, who seems lost in thought. “What kinda story do you think of when you hear this?”

Prompto watches Ignis’s cheeks turn a soft shade of pink. “Actually, may I be honest with you, Prompto?”

“Sure, dude.” Prompto swallows nervously, wondering what the hell Ignis is talking about.

“I chose this first simply because it reminds me of you.”

Prompto feels his heart ache. Well, it’s really hard for his insecurity to write  _ that _ off. Prompto looks over at Ignis, his eyes wide as Ignis smiles gently at him. His cheeks couldn’t flush any warmer than they are right now. “ _ Me? _ But this is so… calming, and… heartwarming, and sweet, and-- and…  _ not _ me.” He laughs.

“Yes, you tend to have similar effects on me,” Ignis admits, “if that’s not too forward to say.”

“Oh, Gods,” Prompto murmurs. “ _ Iggy.” _

The longer the beautiful piano piece goes on, the more flattered he gets, and he wonders how the hell Ignis would think of  _ him _ while listening to this. Prompto would think of just about anyone  _ but _ himself. He’d think of Ignis, for sure, though, in a  _ heartbeat. _

“Have I made you uncomfortable?” Ignis asks, his tone a bit more withdrawn.

“No!” Prompto says immediately. He reaches out and touches Ignis’s wrist. “That’s, like, seriously the nicest thing anyone’s ever said about me.” 

“I find that difficult to believe,” Ignis says, not withdrawing from Prompto’s touch. His tone is warm again. “You’re a very calming person, Prompto. You’re wonderful.”

Prompto starts to laugh nervously, unable to stop smiling. It’s not every day one’s crush says something like  _ that. _ “I-- oh, man, are you sure you’re talkin’ about  _ me _ ?”

Ignis laughs deeply. “Positive.”

The song comes to a close, and Ignis exits out of the music application, putting his phone up on the charger.

Prompto sighs, sad that their listening session is over for now. “I mean, if I’d think of anyone while listening to that, it’d be you, too.” Prompto chews on his lip. He has no idea how Ignis says things like that without having an anxiety meltdown.

Ignis is silent for a moment, but it’s not uncomfortable. “That’s very kind of you. Thank you,” he murmurs.

“Can-- can you send me that song, Iggy?” Prompto asks, wanting desperately to hear it over and over again until his ears practically fall off.

“It would be my pleasure.” Ignis smiles with a soft sigh. Prompto betrays himself by yawning, to which Ignis chuckles. “Are you ready to sleep?” Ignis asks, starting to reach for the bedside lamp to turn it off.

“Uh huh,” Prompto says, suddenly feeling a little sad to end their gentle moment. “Can we listen to more stuff soon?”

“Certainly, Prompto. I’m quite glad that you enjoyed yourself.”

The room gets dark when Ignis turns the light off, and Prompto feels his heart start to hammer as he realizes he wants to be close to Ignis, closer than this. He wants to hold the man in his arms and tell him everything he’s been feeling. He wants Ignis to hold him back, and promise to be with him always.

Prompto settles for a hug instead. He scoots over closer to Ignis, and wraps his arm around his midsection, squeezing him tightly.

“What’s this?” Ignis asks, tone surprised but not uncomfortable. 

“I just wanted to thank you,” Prompto explains sheepishly. “It really meant a lot to me what you did for me today at the bar. It was nice to feel protected, and… you totally didn’t have to, so… yeah. Sorry for the awkward hug.” He laughs.

Ignis is quiet for a moment before he moves his arm to wrap around Prompto in return, holding him closer. “You needn’t thank me,” he assures Prompto, “but you’re quite welcome. I’ll… always protect you, should you ever need it.”

Prompto could bury himself in Ignis’s chest right now, and Ignis would probably indulge him. Instead, he lets Ignis hold him, basking in the gentle affection he’s feeling for Ignis right now, not wanting this moment to end.

“Same here, Iggy. I’ll protect you, too,” Prompto promises.

Prompto feels Ignis’s deep, fond chuckle more than he hears it. It radiates off of Ignis’s chest and settles pleasantly along Prompto’s nerves, raising goosebumps on his flesh. It really should be illegal for Ignis to have a voice so heartbreakingly, beautifully deep.

“I haven’t the slightest doubt,” Ignis murmurs. “Pleasant dreams, Prompto.”

“You too, man.”

Prompto expects Ignis to release him from the hug, probably wanting his own space, but he doesn’t. His arm stays wrapped around Prompto loosely, so Prompto doesn’t make any effort to move -- he’ll take this for as long as he can get it. He rests his hand on Ignis’s chest and puts his head in the crook of Ignis’s arm, and Ignis doesn’t say a word about it in protest. If he wasn’t so tired, his racing heartbeat would be keeping him wide awake right now. The events of the day, however, and the leftover alcohol in his bloodstream keep him absolutely exhausted, and he drifts easily listening to the steady thrum of Ignis’s heartbeat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so...that happened... just guys bein' dudes, amiright


	9. Chapter 9

Prompto wakes on his own, still curled against Ignis’s warmth the same way he’d fallen asleep. His eyes flutter open as he stretches. Ignis had turned on his side in his sleep, his back to Prompto, but he hadn’t moved away from him -- Prompto’s arm is still thrown over Ignis’s waist. 

Prompto slides his arm off of Ignis, but not in the same startled way as previous mornings. He now knows Ignis doesn’t mind when Prompto curls against him, considering the way they both fell asleep last night. He’s happy, at least, that he’s grown comfortable enough with Ignis to not feel mortified whenever they so much as touch.

The blowjob probably helped in that regard as well, if he’s honest.

“Good morning,” Ignis says from next to him, voice even deeper from lack of use during the night. He turns onto his back so that he can look over at Prompto. 

Prompto wonders what Ignis would say if Prompto told him just how beautiful he looks in the morning. His eyes are still full of sleep, just barely opened fully without the help of his morning Ebony. His long eyelashes brush against his cheekbones as he yawns, his pretty lips set into a carefree yet sleepy smile. He looks so youthful like this, Prompto loves it.

“Hi,” Prompto whispers, hoping it wasn’t obvious that he was staring. “Have a good night's sleep?”

“Indeed. And yourself?”

It’s the best Prompto’s slept in a long time. During the past few nights, sleeping next to Ignis has proven to be really calming for him. “Great,” is what Prompto settles on. That’s safe enough.

Ignis sighs. “I’m glad to hear it. We should perhaps get some work done today -- at the very least check in on publication deadlines with the other editors.”

Prompto sighs. “Yeah. Guess we’ll be pretty busy tomorrow, with the, uh… mini wedding.”

Prompto still can’t believe that it’s happening. He’d always assumed it’d just be signing a marriage license, and that would be it -- nothing would change. Now he has to get married in front of his family, pretending to be devoted to Ignis for all of his life. 

Prompto’s not so sure how much he’d have to pretend anymore, if he’s honest. His feelings for Ignis don’t seem to be going away anytime soon. Prompto can put a lid on it, he’s sure of it. He’s used to having to do that sort of thing. But his feelings are definitely here to stay.

“You seem nervous,” Ignis notes, pulling him from his thoughts.

“Yeah, a little. But… at least it’s you I’m doin’ this with, and not some total stranger.” He laughs.

“I suppose you’re right about that. You’re still on board?”

“Yeah!” Prompto says, maybe a little too quickly. “You don’t gotta keep asking that, I promise. We could head out to the overlook again? Free public Wi-Fi in case we need it, and it’s usually pretty peaceful. Unless if you wanna stay here and avoid the heat.”

“Not at all. That’s a brilliant idea, Prompto. Shall we, then?” Ignis’s tone is off -- not in a bad way, but simply different; Prompto doesn’t know how to describe it. He almost sounds lost in thought. He wants to ask if Ignis is okay, but he doesn’t want to push. He’s probably overthinking everything like Prompto is.

They start their morning routine easily today. Prompto never thought he’d get used to navigating the mornings with Ignis over the course of only a few short days, but he has to admit he likes it. It’ll definitely be weird to go back to waking up alone, and heartbreakingly single. 

Not that he isn’t single  _ now _ , but at least now he gets to wake up next to a beautiful someone and kiss them from time to time.

Prompto dresses himself while Ignis showers, and as he’s lacing up his boots he hears a knock on his bedroom door.

“Prompto,” Cor says through the door, tone authoritative. “I need to talk with you in the living room,  _ now.” _

Something’s wrong, Prompto can tell  _ immediately. _ His brain wants to overthink; he overanalyzes every conversation he’s ever had with his father since birth, practically.

Prompto ties his boots sloppily so he doesn’t leave Cor waiting. He finds Cor standing in the living room, arms crossed, a tense frown on his face.

Prompto’s definitely screwed.

“I decided to phone an old friend this morning. Do you have any idea who that friend might be?” Cor asks, purposely cryptic.

Prompto has no idea where Cor is going with this. “Um… no? Should I?”

“Regis,” Cor supplies, tone still dangerously even. “He had some interesting information for me about Ignis’s citizenship status.”

Prompto’s heart nearly stops. Regis and Cor knew each other when Prompto was a baby, and it was one of the reasons that Regis had a soft spot for hiring Prompto when he had no experience for the job whatsoever. Prompto had no idea Cor would snoop around and call Regis behind his back. He wonders what Regis told him; did Regis say the marriage was a sham? Prompto doesn’t know what to even confess to.

“O-oh. He did?” Prompto asks, playing dumb as he rubs the back of his neck nervously.

“Son, don’t you dare play coy with me. That won’t work this time,” Cor says sternly. “Have you been  _ lying _ to me this entire time?”

Prompto panics, answering without thinking. “N-no! Not at all! I just didn’t tell you that part. That’s  _ totally _ not lying. That’s just… leaving stuff out.”

“ _ Prompto.” _ Cor’s no-nonsense voice always puts Prompto in his place.

“Okay, yeah, Iggy’s visa expired,” Prompto admits sheepishly, looking at the ground. “He’s gonna get  _ deported. _ Maybe marriage is too soon for us but I don’t want us to have to break up and have him lose his  _ job _ because we’ve got sticks up our asses about waiting for the right time to be married.”

“Do you honestly expect me to believe that you just happen to be in a relationship with a man you didn’t even care about before whose citizenship has expired? How stupid do you think I am, Prompto? Why did you lie to me?”

“I didn’t lie!” Prompto squeaks, voice wavering, full of emotion. “It’s not my fault you don’t believe me. If I  _ told _ you about the visa thing, you would’ve reacted  _ exactly _ like this--”

“Prompto, darling?” Ignis’s voice sounds from behind him. Prompto starts to panic more, tears stinging his eyes. Oh, he  _ so _ can’t cry in front of Ignis right now. “What’s all this, may I ask?”

Ignis finds Prompto quickly, his arms wrapping around him comfortingly from behind and Prompto’s eyes water even more as Cor frowns.

“You can cut the act, now, Ignis, if you don’t mind,” Cor says rather coldly. “I know about your immigration status.”

Ignis is silent for a moment, unsure how to proceed. Prompto, on the other hand, doesn’t want this to end -- not like this. He knows Ignis will fess up in a  _ heartbeat _ to smooth things over with Cor, and Prompto doesn’t  _ want _ that. He doesn’t  _ want _ Ignis to leave.

Prompto acts quickly. He reaches down and grabs Ignis’s hands around him, securing them to his waist as he holds Ignis against him.

“There’s no  _ act,” _ Prompto hisses at his father. “I  _ do _ expect you to believe it, because it’s true. I thought you were supposed to be on my side here, Dad? Why don’t you want to see me married and happy? I’m in  _ love _ with Ignis. Yeah, I lied about his work visa. I shouldn’t have done that. But you’re… so… fucking…  _ protective _ all the time! I  _ knew _ it would be like this. So I pretended we just wanted to rush the marriage. It’s  _ not _ my fault you pushed a wedding onto me.  _ You _ did that! Me and Iggy were just gonna do it quietly! And  _ this _ is why! Ignis is the most amazing guy I’ve ever met. This is the closest I’ve felt to someone in a  _ long _ time and it’s the best relationship I ever had. Just ‘cause I’m not doing things  _ your _ way doesn’t mean I can’t do them. I’m an adult, Dad. You gotta stop this.”

Ignis, at this point, remains silent while Prompto has his outburst. His hands continue to massage soft, reassuring circles into Prompto’s fingers, and he grips Ignis’s hands for dear life.

“You lied to me, Prompto, and now you expect me to believe this? That’s not how trust works. We don’t lie to each other in this family. I told people you two were in  _ love--” _

“We are!” Prompto shouts, the tears in his eyes overflowing.

“If I may, I can clear up--” Ignis begins.

“Don’t bother, Iggy. He can’t even believe his own kid, it’s useless. This wedding’s off. Ignis and I are getting married the way we want, and I don’t really care if you don’t want any part of it,” Prompto snaps. 

Cor frowns. “You know, I  _ can _ make a phone call and put a stop to all of this immediately. You’re not thinking of your best interests. You aren’t  _ protecting _ yourself. You’re doing this  _ again _ \--”

As soon as Cor mentions ratting Ignis out to the government, Prompto sees  _ red. _ “Don’t you dare do that, Dad. If you do that, you’re going to ruin Ignis’s life and I will  _ never _ come back here,  _ ever.” _

Prompto might say a lot of things he doesn’t mean while he’s upset, but he actually feels like he means that. He’d never forgive Cor for doing that to Ignis.

“Please, if you’d allow Prompto and I to explain, I’m certain we can resolve this calmly, Mr. Leonis,” Ignis says smoothly, his voice a bit strained now.

Prompto starts to cry fully at the mention of Ignis telling the truth about all this. If he runs away, he doesn’t have to deal with it right now -- at least that’s what his Upset Prompto Logic tells him. He pulls away from Ignis’s hands to swipe angrily at the tears that betrayed his emotions. “No, I can’t do this. I’m outta here.”

Prompto shrugs out of Ignis’s arms, which only furthers his sadness. Prompto is the master of self-sabotage, it seems. 

“Prompto--” Ignis begins, tone more worried than he’s ever heard it. Another pang of guilt floods through him. He’s hurt so many people today, why not another?

Prompto heads right for the front door, something that brings back memories of a much too hormonal adolescence when he used to do the exact same thing. He climbs the fire escape of the abandoned building across from his house, just like when he was a teenager, and dangles his feet over the ledge of the rooftop, happy to be alone. 

The view of Lestallum from the roof of the abandoned building used to calm him. It works a little, but he’s never really been  _ this _ upset before. The only problem with being alone is that it lets out the waterworks, no longer having to fear crying in front of anyone -- Ignis, especially. Prompto hugs one leg to his chest while the other dangles free, and cries harder than he has in years.

Prompto knows that he has messed up; Cor can sniff out bullshit from miles away. He should have known better, but he still doesn’t understand why Cor doesn’t want to just do things the way Prompto wants them. He doesn’t want Ignis to leave, and he doesn’t want this… to stop. At all. 

He knows part of the problem of his inability to let go is the fact that he’s pretty sure he’s fallen for Ignis. Prompto has no idea what to do. He knows Ignis doesn’t feel the same. Ignis is probably inside his house right now, telling Cor the truth, saying that Prompto had nothing to do with any of this and that it’s  _ Ignis’s _ fault. He’s probably talking about how he doesn’t have any romantic feelings for Prompto whatsoever. He’ll probably call the whole thing off, let himself get deported and maybe never see Prompto again.

That’s the scariest thought of them all, never seeing Ignis again. More tears spill onto his cheeks, and Prompto buries his head in his arms, crying even harder than before.

“It truly breaks my heart to hear you cry,” Ignis admits from behind him, his voice low with emotion.

Prompto startles; he didn’t even hear Ignis climb the stairs to the rooftop. He must have been crying too hard. Prompto sniffles, unsure if he can speak without crying. 

“H-how’d you know where I was?” Prompto whispers.

“I had quite a discussion with your father,” Ignis explains. “He informed me of where you used to go when you’d become upset. May I sit with you?”

Prompto was probably right, then; Ignis probably confessed everything. Prompto lets out a shaky breath, trying not to cry anymore. “Yeah.”

Ignis wordlessly does so, sitting himself next to Prompto, his long legs hanging off of the rooftop as well.

“Well, well, I can see the appeal. Quite the view up here,” Ignis says gently, as if trying to distract Prompto.

“U-uh huh,” Prompto sniffles.

“Are you alright?” Ignis asks, tone soft.

Prompto shrugs wordlessly. Prompto has no idea why, but whenever someone asks that question it’s even more upsetting. It should be  _ comforting _ , but now all Prompto wants to do is to cry harder.

Prompto takes a deep breath. “Is it… is it over?” he asks, voice breaking on the last word. “Are you l-leaving?”

Prompto bursts into tears. He feels so pathetic; he knows how stupid he looks right now, crying over something fake. There isn’t a whole lot that could make him more foolish than this to Ignis. He’s surprised the other man doesn’t laugh, or maybe just mercy kill him by kicking him off the roof with those super long legs and designer shoes.

Prompto feels gentle, soft pressure on the back of his head -- fingers, he realizes, gently combing through his hair in a reassuring gesture. “I would only leave if you desire it, Prompto. I promise.”

Prompto relaxes only a little. “B-but my dad,” he sniffles, trying to not sound like an idiot by crying through his words. “He said he’s gonna call and tell the government we’re lying. You’ll have to leave and I’ll never see you again and it’ll be all my fault that your life is ruined--” More tears stream down his face.

Ignis sounds amused, but he doesn’t laugh, bless his heart. “Prompto,” Ignis says softly.

“I-I’ll have to work with Ravus and I’ll probs get fired and I’d have no job and no money to ever hang out with you--”

“ _ Prompto.” _

Prompto can’t get himself to relax, and that’s when he feels Ignis’s fingers leave his hair. For a moment, Prompto irrationally thinks that Ignis is going to leave -- that Prompto is too much for Ignis to handle. Instead, he feels arms wrap around his waist from behind. Ignis pulls Prompto onto his lap, holding him close. Prompto shivers at the gesture, at the warmth of Ignis’s body and how tightly he holds him. Prompto couldn’t move even if he wanted to. Ignis is  _ holding _ him, again, without anyone to prove anything to. One of Ignis’s gloved hands returns to stroking Prompto’s hair gently.

“None of that will occur, I assure you,” Ignis promises. “Even if I were to leave, you’re being rather silly. I wouldn’t be  _ stuck _ in Tenebrae permanently. I would always return to you.”

Prompto’s heart starts to fly. ‘ _ I would always return to you.’ _ Not ‘return to  _ work’, _ or ‘return to  _ Insomnia’, _ but ‘ _ you.’ _ Ignis chose to say ‘ _ you’. _ Prompto can’t even try to stop the pangs of affection that flow through him. He wasn’t sure it was possible to want the man holding him any more than he currently does, but Ignis always goes and proves him wrong.

“I, um,” Prompto begins, picking at a loose thread on his jeans as he leans into the touch Ignis delivers to his hair. “I legit thought that you were just gonna be gone forever. At least gone from me.”

“Is that why you’ve been so persistent about this?” Ignis asks fondly. “There are, in fact, phones in Tenebrae. Computers, internet;  _ Astrals _ , there’s even paper correspondence if you’re stubborn enough…”

Prompto can’t help himself; he starts to laugh. “Yeah, I know, but… we’re… I’m just… I didn’t think I ranked high enough, y’know? But, no. I just wanted to help you with this. It’d probably be easier to ask Noct to marry you instead. I’m sure Regis wouldn’t be as much trouble as my stupid dad.”

“I don’t believe you understand how invaluable you’ve been to me, not only this weekend, but always,” Ignis says. “I’m uncertain how much easier this would be if Noct were to replace you, if Regis were to even allow his son to falsely marry someone, even if that someone is me.” The silence is deafening, and Prompto considers just rolling  _ himself _ off of the roof. “But if I’m honest… I don’t give a damn even if Regis were to allow it easier than Cor.  _ This _ is the path I’ve chosen, with you, and if I had to do it again… I would still choose you, without hesitation. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time with you, Prompto.”

Prompto’s heart nearly stops at how honest Ignis’s words sound. He wants to believe them more than anything, and his affection for Ignis increases tenfold.

Prompto sighs, reaching up to wipe his eyes again. “You’re not just saying that ‘cause I cried, are you?” 

Ignis chuckles, ceasing his strokes in Prompto’s hair to pat it tenderly. “No, although I stand by what I said earlier. I never wish to hear you cry.”

“Sorry,” Prompto mumbles. “I thought it’d be okay, then my dad said  _ that _ about reporting you, y’know _ … _ sorry to get all dramatic.”

“Please, do not apologize. I cannot imagine what you’re going through, and I apologize for the role I’ve played in it.”

“Iggy!” Prompto protests. “It’s not your fault, okay? I’m a dumbass for thinking I could lie to my dad. You told him everything, didn’t you?”

Ignis is silent for a moment. Prompto thinks it must be worse than he’s imagining, if  _ Ignis _ doesn’t know what to say. “If you’re asking if he knows the truth about our marriage, then no. He’s unaware, at least for now. You seemed adamant that we keep up with this, so I did not wish to make the decision for you.” He sighs, moving his hand from Prompto’s hair to join the other around Prompto’s waist. “That being said, if the reason you’ve been so insistent upon all of this is simply because you’re afraid we shall never see each other again, I beg you to reconsider. Think about your own happiness, your own life -- even if we cease this, we can still very much see each other. You’re aware of this, aren’t you?”

“I want this,” Prompto says without a moment’s hesitation. “Can we still do this? I want to. I… I know I was being stupid. Of course you can still talk to me from Tenebrae but… I don’t care. I wanna talk to you  _ here. _ Well, not here, but… y’know what I mean. We can still…?”

“Yes,” Ignis promises, “we can still do this.”

“H-how’d you talk him down?” Prompto asks sheepishly. “I’m so sorry for leaving, Iggy. You didn’t deserve that.”

“Nonsense. I could have easily followed,” Ignis says. “I simply told him the truth about everything, except for the simple fact that we weren’t actually seeing each other to begin with.”

“Wait, so he knows? That this is… that this isn’t…?”

“Not at all. He knows that I care for you, and that I will do everything possible in my power to protect you -- he just hasn’t any idea as to which context. If you’d like him to know the entire truth, then I will easily amend that. The choice is yours; I merely did not wish to make it without you, especially not while you are so upset.”

Prompto sighs. He turns in Ignis’s arms so that he’s parallel to him instead of his back pressed against him. “I dunno if I’m ready to talk to him yet.”

“I understand,” Ignis says. “He doesn’t expect you to, but you should know that he feels quite badly about the threat he made. He never truly intended to follow through on it.”

“He  _ should _ feel bad,” Prompto grumbles. “It was a dick move.”

Ignis laughs. “Perhaps,” he allows. “To make amends, he’s given us his truck to borrow for the day, and we may go wherever we wish, so long as when we return, you speak with him.”

“Wow,” Prompto murmurs. “You got him to hand over his truck? You’re amazing. That’s, like, impossible.”

“I have my ways,” Ignis teases. “I hate to ask this again, you’re certain you wish to continue with this?”

“Uh huh,” Prompto says quickly. “Always.”

“Very well, then. We shall proceed as planned.” Ignis smiles softly.

Prompto chews on his bottom lip. “Where should we go today? I know we still gotta… do some work and stuff...”

“Hmm. Where would you like to go, Prompto?”

Prompto thinks about it. He’s already shown Ignis all of Lestallum. Now that they have means to go elsewhere, there is one place that Prompto’s yet to show him.

“We could go to Greyshire. It’s just a pretty little waterfall west of town, a few miles out. It’ll be real quiet there.”

“That sounds perfect, actually. I was wondering if there was perhaps somewhere peaceful nearby,” Ignis says. “Allow me to get some food in you before we leave…? Shall we stop by the market?”

Prompto nods. “Let’s do it, Iggy.”

Having to slide off of Ignis’s lap like nothing ever happened throws Prompto back into reality. He misses the warmth of Ignis and the soft, comforting touches he delivered. He knows that now that Prompto’s not crying or upset anymore, those touches will go away forever. His heart aches at the thought.

Prompto tries not to carry his emotions through their early lunch, but he can’t help it. Ignis can definitely tell, as he’s quieter as well, but he doesn’t ask -- Prompto guesses that Ignis assumes it’s because he was so upset earlier. Still, Ignis is gentle with him; placing his hand on the small of Prompto’s back and sitting close to him every chance he gets. It’s a little sad how the tiniest gestures make Prompto’s heart gallop, especially after all they’ve been through. This shouldn’t affect him, but it does -- Prompto’s really in far too deep.

The ride to Greyshire is quiet, but charged -- it takes no longer than 20 minutes, but there’s something in the air between them that Prompto can’t quite put a finger on. It doesn’t seem bad, just  _ heavy _ \-- like there’s something left unsaid. Prompto deals with it by getting out his camera and taking photos on the way there -- of the scenery, of the road, of  _ Ignis  _ \-- which causes Iggy’s lips to twitch into the prettiest smile (Prompto takes no more than 20 pictures of it, he swears).

There’s no one there when they arrive, and Prompto prefers it that way. He wants to be alone with Ignis, to not have to worry about anything else. Prompto excitedly grips Ignis’s wrist to lead him away from the rest area and down the winding paths that lead to the waterfall.

Prompto grins when the waterfall comes into view, letting go of Ignis’s hand in favor of taking tons of photos of it.

“Man, it’s been so long since I’ve been here. I forgot how pretty it is,” Prompto says gently.

“It’s truly spectacular, Prompto,” Ignis responds. “How did you discover this?”

Prompto laughs. “When I was younger, and I’d babysit Talcott -- y’know, Jared’s grandkid? -- He’d be always talking about how there was a waterfall nearby, and I thought that was so cool, y’know. Finally asked Jared about it so I could go get some pics. There’s never anyone here. I kinda like it like that.”

“This was a wonderful idea,” Ignis compliments. “Thank you for showing this to me.”

Prompto looks over at Ignis, and he looks so carefree,  _ happy; _ Prompto loves seeing him like this. He looks so beautiful. There’s still that tension in the air, and Prompto doesn’t know how to fix it, but he’s happy to be here with Ignis, at least. Ignis finally catches him staring, and his smile turns into a smirk -- a teasing look;  _ fond. _ Prompto’s heart flies.

“Happy to do it, dude! Wanna sit closer to it? Be pretty nice to listen to while we work, maybe?” Prompto suggests.

“Certainly. Lead the way,” Ignis says fondly.

They climb up the rocks to the little secluded waterfall, the sound of it already calming his shot nerves. Prompto picks a dry spot nearby, setting his tablet and phone on the rocks so they don’t get wet before he sits down.

Ignis sits next to him, close enough for their knees to touch. The casual gesture shouldn’t be enough to drive him wild, but it does. Prompto’s fingers grip his camera, wanting this moment to last longer before he has to ruin it all with work emails and deadlines.

“Wanna take a selfie before we’re not allowed to have fun anymore?” Prompto asks jokingly, waving his camera with a smile.

“But of course. I would hate to deny an addition to our collection,” Ignis teases.

Prompto looks over, noting the space between Ignis’s legs and his goblin brain immediately takes over. “Spread your legs for me? We wanna get cozy, right?”

The soft laughter from Ignis calms Prompto’s nerves. Ignis obliges, widening the space in between the junction of his legs enough for Prompto to sit there. “Absolutely.”

Biting his lip, Prompto hops over so he can settle between Ignis’s legs, sitting with his back to Ignis. He holds up his camera just as Ignis curls his arms around Prompto’s waist from behind, creating the perfect couple pose.

“Ready?” Prompto asks, his heart rate increasing at how close they are.

“Indeed.” Ignis’s voice sounds right at Prompto’s ear, causing tingles and goosebumps to erupt down his neck. Prompto can’t even suppress the shudder that goes through him. 

“Cheek kiss, maybe? Is that cool?” Prompto suggests. He’s pushing his luck here, but  _ Astrals, _ does he want Ignis so badly right now. The heat pressing at his back only intensifies, and he wants those arms curled around his waist to never let go.

“Mmm,” Ignis hums in agreement, pressing his lips to Prompto’s cheekbone.

Prompto takes a few photos, even letting his eyes close with happiness in some. Prompto sighs, lowering the camera, knowing their closeness is about to end. Ignis moves his lips away from Prompto’s cheek.

“Thanks, Iggy. These are gonna be great.”

“You’re quite welcome. What a darling fiancé you are,” Ignis teases.

“Yep! All yours.” Prompto laughs nervously at just how true that statement is.

Prompto feels the warmth of Ignis’s breath against his neck, and it’d be  _ really _ uncool of him to moan out loud at the feeling. Ignis doesn’t make any effort to move. Prompto’s about to ask, when Ignis speaks instead, his voice lower than Prompto expects. “Are you mine, Prompto?” There’s none of the teasing lilt from before in his tone. Ignis actually sounds  _ serious. _

Prompto must be missing something here, his heart pounding in his chest. “Huh?”

Lips touch just underneath Prompto’s jawline, forcing Prompto to tilt his head to the side. Prompto lets out a shaky breath as Ignis’s lips travel lower. As soon as they press against his neck, Prompto  _ whimpers. _ He has no idea what’s happening but it feels  _ so _ good. He reaches over his shoulder to hold the back of Ignis’s head, keeping him there.

“Don’t-- don’t stop,” Prompto begs, voice barely above a whisper.

“Mmm,” Ignis hums against his neck, causing Prompto to shiver again. 

Ignis definitely doesn’t stop. His tongue brushes along the sensitive skin of Prompto’s neck teasingly. Prompto gasps, tilting his head more to give Ignis better access. His eyes slide closed as Ignis secures his lips to Prompto’s neck and sucks,  _ hard. _

Prompto starts to squirm in Ignis’s arms, his dick at attention in his jeans. “Ngh,  _ Iggy--” _ Prompto whines, his heart pounding in his chest.

Ignis peels his lips from Prompto’s neck once he’s given Prompto a hickey that will last at  _ least _ a week, a deep chuckle sounding in Prompto’s ear. “Your heart’s beating rather fast,” he notes, voice still low and teasing. Ignis slides his hand up Prompto’s chest to push more of Prompto’s hair away from his neck. “You have no idea what the sounds you make do to me, Prompto.”

Prompto’s fingers dig into Ignis’s scalp at this confession, inhaling sharply through his teeth. “I want more, Iggy…  _ please?” _

Ignis lowers his head to press more teasing kisses along Prompto’s neck, hand sliding down past his waist to press fervently against Prompto’s cock. Prompto gasps, rolling his hips forward into the touch. Ignis’s teeth graze against Prompto’s neck, and Prompto’s in the  _ clouds. _ He hopes this isn’t another dream -- but it feels too real to be something Prompto made up in his head.

“Shit, dude,” Prompto groans. “I’m so hard, Ignis,  _ fuck.” _

Ignis presses his hand against Prompto’s crotch harder at his words, and Prompto’s hips press into the touch involuntarily. Prompto throws his head back, resting against Ignis’s shoulder, moaning loudly as Ignis delivers rough love bites into his neck. Prompto can feel Ignis’s hardness pressing against his ass even through their clothing, and Prompto wants to push back against it so badly.

Ignis moves his lips off of Prompto’s neck after a few more chaste kisses, and Prompto whines, missing the warmth of it  _ immediately. _ Prompto feels Ignis’s teeth graze teasingly against Prompto’s earlobe as he whispers low into Prompto’s ear, “May I share a secret with you, Prompto?”

Prompto starts to caress Ignis’s hair, twirling his fingers along the soft strands as he holds the back of Ignis’s head. He turns his head to lock eyes with Ignis, so close to one another that he can feel the warmth of Ignis’s breath touch his lips. “Yeah,” Prompto whispers, so turned on he’s barely able to keep his tone even.

“I had no intention of bringing you here to  _ work _ ,” Ignis admits.

Prompto knows exactly what  _ that _ means, and he can’t even stop the soft whimper that escapes his mouth, especially when he feels Ignis grip the outline of his cock through his jeans. Prompto pushes Ignis’s head toward him and answers with their lips crashing together. Prompto moans against Ignis’s mouth as Ignis starts putting more attention on Prompto’s cock, and that’s about all he can take.

Prompto turns in Ignis’s arms, not separating their lips so he can face Ignis, straddling his lap. Prompto parts his lips, pushing his tongue into Ignis’s mouth impatiently as he grinds his cock down against Ignis’s roughly. Ignis lets out a soft noise of surprise as their tongues tangle with each other, and it only fuels Prompto even further. Ignis’s mouth tastes so damn  _ good _ ; the only thing he wants more than Ignis’s cock is his  _ mouth, _ everywhere, wanting to taste every bit of Ignis that he can get.

Prompto slides his arms around Ignis’s neck, locking them there as their arousals brush together through their pants. Prompto keeps a steady motion with his hips, rocking them against Ignis as he tries to create more friction between their cocks through the barrier of their clothing. Ignis meets him halfway, rolling his hips upward against Prompto’s. Ignis’s cock brushes against a sensitive spot along Prompto’s groin and Prompto separates their lips to throw his head back, moaning breathlessly.

Ignis doesn’t let his lips stay free for long; he’s surging forward, mouthing kisses along the column of Prompto’s throat as Prompto arches his back on top of him, both of them continuing to grind on each other like horny teenagers. 

“Fuck, Iggy,  _ please, _ ” Prompto gasps desperately. “Don’t stop.”

“Never,” Ignis promises against Prompto’s throat. “Astrals above,  _ look _ at you.”

Prompto can feel Ignis’s eyes on him, taking him in as he digs his nails into the back of Ignis’s neck. Their eyes lock, and even though he’s fully clothed, Ignis makes him feel like he’s naked. Ignis’s hips press upwards insistently and Prompto groans.

“Shit,  _ shit _ , I could come like this,” Prompto admits, unable to stop himself from frotting against Ignis harder.

Ignis lets out the softest groan; it sounds so  _ disheveled _ coming from his usually stoic voice and Prompto can’t help but stare down at him as they pleasure each other. Ignis’s pupils are absolutely blown, lips pink from being thoroughly kissed, and rebellious strands of hair fall forward onto his forehead. He’s absolutely  _ beautiful. _

“I haven’t the slightest doubt, seeing as I felt you come against me untouched last night while you took me in your mouth,” Ignis purrs up at him. 

Prompto simply isn’t used to such filthy words coming out of Ignis. His cock throbs painfully in his jeans and he leans down to connect their mouths together again. Ignis is happy to receive him, his arms circling around Prompto tighter to hold him against him as Ignis brushes his tongue along Prompto’s lower lip. Prompto opens his mouth for him, gasping against his lips as Ignis explores his mouth with his tongue.

Prompto breathes in against Ignis’s mouth, continuing his rough pace on top of Ignis, frotting just enough to keep his toes curling in his shoes.

“Did you like it when I did that last night?” Prompto murmurs against Ignis’s lips.

“Nearly as much as when I made you come myself,” Ignis purrs.

Prompto whines, grinding down against Ignis harder, wanting to relieve the way his cock throbs in his pants. “I wanna fuck you, Iggy,” Prompto pants. “I wanna ride you so bad.”

Ignis moans, his hard cock pressing insistently up against Prompto’s jeans. Prompto emphasizes his desires by moving forward on his lap slightly enough so that Ignis’s cock presses against his ass. Prompto whines at the contact even through his clothing, his cock pushed up against Ignis’s stomach. He can practically  _ feel _ the head of Ignis’s cock pressing past that tight ring of muscle and Prompto’s never wanted something so badly in his life.

Prompto grinds his ass down onto Ignis’s cock  _ hard, _ getting impatient.

“ _ Ah _ , darling,” Ignis groans, hips snapping upward. “I could take you right here…”

Prompto squeezes his eyes shut as he feels Ignis’s hands grip Prompto’s hips, guiding Prompto on just where to move against Ignis. Prompto lets it happen, a soft gasp leaving his lips as he feels the outline of Ignis’s cock push up against his ass roughly.

“ _ Please,” _ Prompto begs. “I can make you feel real good, Iggy,  _ please. _ ”

“Mmm,” Ignis moans, gripping Prompto’s hips tighter, “I  _ love _ the way you beg for me. One more time, darling, and I’ll reward you.”

Prompto laughs breathlessly. He’s nothing if not a people pleaser, and the dominance Ignis exhibits is without a doubt the sexiest display he’s ever witnessed. Prompto is, on the other hand, a little shit -- and even more so when he’s horny -- so he hopes Ignis is prepared for everything Prompto wants to give him.

“Gods, Iggy,  _ please,” _ Prompto whines, grinding his ass against Ignis’s cock some more, loving the way the hardness of Ignis’s arousal feels against him, “don’t you wanna fuck me? Don’t you wanna feel so good? Bet you’d come so good in me, you’d feel so good… don’t you wanna give that to me, baby? Please, Iggy, you have no idea how much I want you.” Prompto leans down slightly to nip at Ignis’s bottom lip. “ _ Please?” _

Ignis groans, cock pressing up against Prompto harder, unable to help himself. “Such a good boy you are,” Ignis whispers. “Stand up for me, remove your trousers?”

Prompto moans at the praise and pauses for a moment to deliver another kiss to Ignis’s lips, wanting to taste his tongue one more time before getting up off of him. He pushes himself up off of Ignis, using his shoulders as leverage as he starts to unzip his jeans with shaking fingers.

“Slowly, love. Relax, it’s only us here,” Ignis says, leaning back onto his hands to watch Prompto with a lecherous, needy gaze.

Prompto exhales, standing in front of Ignis as he slides his jeans and boxers down his legs, exposing himself to Ignis. Prompto’s cock stands at attention, the tip of it flushed so red he’s surprised he hasn’t come yet.

Ignis slides his gloved hand down his own body to palm at his erection in his own pants as he watches Prompto, and his own cock throbs at the attention.

“Stroke yourself once for me, darling?” Ignis asks.

Prompto whines as he grips the head of his cock with his fingers, precome leaking out of the tip as soon as he strokes himself. He closes his eyes as pleasure floods through him at the touch, and finds himself lazily starting to stroke himself again--

“Now, now, Prompto. I said  _ once,” _ Ignis chastises teasingly.

Prompto removes his hand from his arousal with a reluctant hiss. “ _ Iggy.” _

Ignis chuckles, the arousal in his tone apparent. “I know, love.” He removes his hand from his own arousal to curl two fingers in Prompto’s direction. “Come closer.”

Prompto walks to Ignis, closing the distance between them, standing in between Ignis’s legs. Ignis rewards him by sliding his hands up Prompto’s thighs as he stands there. Just the simple touch on his bare skin so close to his cock has Prompto sighing shakily, turning to a moan when Ignis grips the base of his cock.

“You  _ do _ have freckles everywhere, don’t you?” Ignis notes with a tease. “You’re absolutely beautiful, are you aware?”

Without awaiting a reply, he takes the head of Prompto’s cock into his mouth.

“ _ Iggy,” _ Prompto gasps, using all of his strength not to push more of himself into Ignis’s mouth. He settles instead for digging his fingers into Ignis’s hair as Ignis takes more of him into the wet heat of his mouth. “Oh,  _ Gods.” _

Ignis’s tongue swirls along his length as he takes the rest of Prompto’s cock into his mouth, and Prompto  _ whines _ . His mouth feels so good along his arousal, the way his tongue adds pressure to his already throbbing dick. Prompto’s fingers in Ignis’s hair tighten their grip as Ignis starts to suck harder on Prompto’s cock, practically drinking him in.

“Oh, shit, baby,” Prompto pants. “That feels  _ so _ good… please, Ignis…”

Prompto doesn’t even know what he’s saying at this point, it’s basically just turned-on nonsense, but he doesn’t even care. Ignis’s pretty lips feel even better than they look, caressing his arousal as Ignis hollows his cheeks to suck him off. Prompto hums, closing his eyes for a moment to relish the feeling, stroking Ignis’s hair lovingly as a reward. When he opens them, he sees Ignis below him with his eyes closed, mouth absolutely  _ full _ of Prompto’s cock and Prompto wishes he could take a picture.  _ Astrals. _ Their eyes lock after Ignis’s eyes open teasingly, and a curl of arousal shoots through him, tugging on Ignis’s hair as a warning.

“You keep doing that, I’m gonna come,” Prompto breathes, unable to take his eyes off of Ignis.

Ignis chuckles, the noise sending vibrations throughout the length of Prompto’s dick and Prompto gasps, squeezing his eyes shut. He feels Ignis’s mouth slide off of Prompto’s cock -- teasingly slow -- before pulling off entirely with an obscene wet popping sound.

Prompto opens his eyes to find Ignis smirking up at him, lips red and wet, looking even more disheveled than before.

“Apologies, love, I simply had to taste you,” Ignis teases. “Come down here for me, please.”

Prompto can’t even suppress the shudder that rolls through him when he feels Ignis pull him back down onto Ignis’s lap. Without his jeans to act as a barrier anymore, Prompto’s cock presses up against Ignis’s stomach through his shirt, and it feels way more intimate than he realized. Prompto throws his arms around Ignis’s neck again, looking into Ignis’s eyes.

“Hi,” Prompto says softly.

Ignis hums, responding by pulling Prompto’s head toward him, their lips coming together for a heated kiss. Prompto tastes himself on Ignis, and he shudders, tilting his head to give Ignis better access to his mouth. The kiss gets more heated, and Prompto’s cock aches. He can’t wait any longer; he slides his hands from Ignis’s neck down to his belt, unbuckling it so he can unzip Ignis’s pants.

He breaks the kiss to work faster, and he feels Ignis tuck a lock of hair behind Prompto’s ear tenderly as he works Ignis’s pants down, freeing his cock.

“Mmm, that’s a good boy,” Ignis promises into Prompto’s ear, letting Prompto take what he wants. “I love how eager you are for me.” 

Teeth graze Prompto’s earlobe, and Prompto moans at the sensation. He reaches down and wraps a hand around Ignis’s cock, looking down so he can see it. It’s just as a neglected red as Prompto’s is, maybe even more so as it’s been untouched for so long. It’s still just as long and pretty as he remembers, curving slightly to the left as Prompto starts to stroke it. It’s all worth it for the soft gasp that Ignis lets out, gently pushing his cock further into Prompto’s grip.

“Oh? You like this, baby?” Prompto teases, like he’s not even more turned on than Ignis is at this rate.

“Yes, Prompto,” Ignis moans, “just like that, yes…” 

A bead of precome gathers at the tip of Ignis’s cock just as Prompto looks down at it, and he’s quick to gather it with his thumb, swiping it over the tip of Ignis’s cock as he strokes, slicking up Ignis’s cock easily. It makes it easier for Ignis to push himself easily into Prompto’s fist, picking up the pace. Prompto squeezes Ignis’s cock teasingly, to which Ignis lets out a rather undignified moan at, more precome seeping from the tip of his arousal.

“Gods, you have such a pretty dick, Iggy,” Prompto whines, leaning in to kiss the corner of Ignis’s mouth. “I want it in me, I can’t wait any longer,  _ please.” _

Ignis turns his head so that their mouths press together, kissing each other desperately, both of them gasping against one another. Instead of grabbing his own dick with his free hand, Prompto grips both of their cocks together with the same hand, stroking themselves at the same time, their arousals pressed tightly together in Prompto’s grip. 

Ignis breaks the kiss to moan. “Ah, that feels…” He can’t even finish his sentence, both of them groaning as Ignis’s hips roll forward to rub against Prompto’s cock even more. 

“So good, baby,” Prompto whines. “You’re so hard against me, Iggy, fuck.”

Ignis tries to focus, but fails. His breath comes in soft gasps, reaching for Prompto’s hand so he can help him stroke both of their cocks together. Prompto watches as his own dick starts to leak against their hands, throbbing hard against Ignis’s. It’s even more arousing to feel Ignis throbbing against him too, dicks pressed so tightly together, the heat adding more pleasure.

“I almost want to feel you come against me like this, Prompto,” Ignis gasps into his ear. “You feel so wonderful against me.”

Prompto whines, stopping the pace he has on both of their cocks so he doesn’t fall over the edge, not wanting to come just yet. Ignis moves his hand entirely off of them so that Prompto doesn’t come, careful with him, always so careful.

“ _ Iggy, _ ” Prompto whines. “Don’t you wanna fuck me, baby? Make me all yours?”

Ignis moans deeply, looking up at Prompto perched on his lap. “You’ve no idea how much I want that, darling.”

Prompto’s gotten so lost in his own pleasure that he doesn’t notice the small bottle of lube that Ignis has pulled out of his pocket until he hears the muted uncapping noise. Prompto bites his lip at the sight of it, knowing what happens next. 

“You really did come here to fuck me, didn’t you?” Prompto asks with a breathless laugh.

“In any way you’d have me,” Ignis promises.

“ _ Iggy,” _ Prompto whines. He wonders if that’s why there was so much tension in the car ride here.

Prompto watches as Ignis puts the tips of his fingers between his teeth, biting the cloth of his gloves until they slide off of his hand. Knowing what Ignis is about to do makes the act even hotter, and Prompto finds himself sliding up Ignis’s lap again subconsciously, grinding his ass against Ignis’s cock.

Both of them groan at the contact, without any clothing between them, the pleasure intensifies. Feeling Ignis’s cock press against his ass makes Prompto want it that much more, squirming on Ignis’s lap, wanting more friction, more touch,  _ more.  _ Prompto watches as Ignis slicks up two of his fingers with lubricant and Prompto whines.

Ignis’s bare fingers slide around Prompto’s waist. His touch is warm from the gloves he was wearing, but he feels cool liquid touch his entrance and Prompto giggles.

“S’cold,” Prompto whispers in Ignis’s ear.

“Not for much longer,” Ignis reassures him, pressing a kiss to his temple as Prompto feels one of Ignis’s fingers push inside of him, his body taking him in slowly.

“ _ Ah,” _ Prompto gasps, pressing into the touch.

The tightness isn’t unfamiliar, as he’s done this many times with his own finger, with toys, with  _ others; _ it’s nothing close to this, though. There’s been no one he’s fooled around with that he’s wanted as much as he’s wanted Ignis, and he trembles in Ignis’s arms once he feels Ignis start to finger him, pushing his digit in and out of Prompto, curling his finger upward once it’s inside of him.

“How does that feel, love?” Ignis whispers in Prompto’s ear.

“Iggy,” Prompto gasps, getting used to the sensation as he starts to push himself against Ignis’s finger, “ _ more.” _

“Mmm.” Ignis obliges as he slides the first finger out of Prompto to add another.

As soon as two fingers push into Prompto’s entrance, he moans, head falling forward onto Ignis’s shoulder as Ignis fingers him. Prompto loves getting fingered, and judging by the way Ignis rewards every gasp with a faster and rougher pace, Ignis can definitely tell. He holds onto Ignis tightly as Prompto’s cock starts to respond to the touch, aching to feel more than just fingers inside of him.

“Yes, you  _ love _ this, don’t you? You’re already so ready for me,” Ignis moans. “That’s my good boy. Let your body feel it, just like that.”

Prompto at this point doesn’t know what’s sexier; Ignis’s encouraging praise or the fingers that are currently knuckles-deep inside of him. Prompto whines, delivering wet kisses to Ignis’s neck as Ignis rewards him for being so pliant. Prompto lets out a gasp when he feels Ignis scissor his fingers inside of him. 

Just as Prompto gets used to the feeling, he feels Ignis’s fingers curl upwards inside of him, hitting his prostate. Prompto gasps again sharply, arching his back a little.  _ “Gods, _ that feels so good,” Prompto moans. “ _ Please.” _

Ignis keeps the steady, quick pace of his fingers in Prompto. Prompto feels every inch of those long fingers, whining steadily as Ignis stretches him and teases his prostate. Prompto rolls his hips against Ignis’s touch, desperate to ride Ignis’s fingers.

“Mmm, that’s wonderful, love,” Ignis praises. “Just a bit longer, that’s it.”

Prompto whimpers impatiently. “Iggy, please, I’m ready, I can take it,  _ please,” _ Prompto begs. “Wanna ride you, baby.”

Despite his words, Prompto whines at the loss as he feels Ignis’s fingers pull out of him. He aches to be filled again, he wants to fuck Ignis so hard that the other man loses every last bit of control that he has left. 

“You’re bloody killing me, love,” Ignis gasps. “Sit up a little for me…”

Prompto’s happy to obey, moving his body up slightly so that Ignis can line his cock up with Prompto’s entrance. Prompto takes advantage of the closer proximity to Ignis’s face as he peppers kisses along Ignis’s cheekbone. Ignis smiles as he keeps one hand gripping Prompto’s hip tightly, and the other pressing the head of his cock against Prompto teasingly. Prompto moans, trying to push down onto Ignis, tired of the teasing. Ignis doesn’t let him, holding onto Prompto tightly to keep him from moving.

“Shit, Ignis, c’mon, want you so bad, quit teasing… please… c’mon,  _ fuck _ me,” Prompto begs, squirming against Ignis’s tight grip. 

“Mmm, you really do love this, don’t you? You hate that I’m keeping you from this, don’t you?” Ignis teases.

“Uh huh,” Prompto whines. “I love getting fucked, dude, so sue me. C’mon.”

“Oh? By whom?” Ignis asks, tone way too biased to come out as neutral and teasing as he probably wanted it to.

Prompto realizes quickly that he can use Ignis’s jealousy to his advantage. He grinds down against Ignis’s cock as much as Ignis will let him so he can tease the other man just as much as himself. “Why, baby? You jealous?”

Ignis pushes the head of his cock into Prompto, then, hips snapping upward to slide home in one quick movement. Prompto squeezes his eyes shut. “ _ Oh--” _ Prompto gasps, letting Ignis’s cock stretch him out as he arches his back.

“Oh, that’s beautiful,” Ignis purrs, both hands moving to Prompto’s hips to grip him tightly now that he’s fully inside Prompto. “Feel it, Prompto, that’s it. It’s alright, love.”

Prompto’s never felt so  _ full. _ He loves the way Ignis’s coaxing settles over his nerves as he relaxes, sinking himself down onto Ignis’s cock. He loves that Ignis teased him with this and then gave him  _ exactly _ what he wanted.

“Fuck, Ignis, holy  _ shit, _ ” Prompto whines. He opens his eyes to find Ignis staring at him, and Prompto grins at him, rolling his hips experimentally, adjusting to Ignis’s size. Both of them moan softly at the motion. “ _ Yes.” _

“You take me so beautifully,” Ignis admits with another low groan. “You’re utterly breathtaking, darling.”

Prompto whines a little at the praise -- he’s never had a lover so complimentative -- and he starts to move his hips a little faster, starting to fuck himself on Ignis’s cock. Prompto’s dick throbs at the feeling, not used to being filled so perfectly. He digs his fingers into Ignis’s shoulders as he starts to bounce himself, soft moans falling from his lips.

“Shit, Iggy, you feel so good, baby. Gods, I won’t last,” Prompto warns, a little breathless from the exertion of riding Ignis already. 

Ignis’s grip on Prompto’s hips tighten, guiding Prompto roughly. “Shh, don’t worry about that love. Keep going, show me what feels good. That’s it.”

Prompto whimpers, slowing down to take all of Ignis’s cock inside of him nice and slow before resuming his quick pace again, breathlessly thrusting down on Ignis’s arousal. It feels so hard and warm inside of him, Prompto knows he’ll absolutely come if he feels Ignis spill inside him.

“Yes,” Prompto gasps. “That feel good, baby?”

Their eyes lock, and Ignis lets out a soft moan when Prompto fucks himself onto Ignis particularly roughly. Ignis can’t seem to help thrusting upward a little bit to meet him. His cock brushes against Prompto’s prostate and he practically sees stars, cock leaking precome at the feeling, whining louder than he has yet. He thrusts down to meet Ignis even harder than before just to feel it again.

“Astrals above,” Ignis gasps, riding a similar high as Prompto at his rough thrusts, “don’t stop, love,  _ please.” _ Ignis sounds so thoroughly debauched; Prompto moans breathlessly, smiling down at him.

Prompto continues to move against him, chasing his own orgasm when he grabs one of Ignis’s hands, taking it off his hip to put it around Prompto’s throat. Ignis groans, squeezing Prompto’s neck gently, not enough to cut off his air supply but enough for Prompto to moan.

“Shit,  _ shit, _ Iggy, I need--” Prompto can’t even finish his sentence. He moans, thrusting down on Ignis’s cock harder the tighter Ignis’s grip on his throat gets. 

“What do you need, darling?” Ignis moans. “Tell me, and I will give it to you…”

Ignis seems to have an idea of what Prompto wants, seeing as his hips snap upward to deliver a thrust up into Prompto that sends Prompto into a full-body shudder.

“Fuck,” Prompto gasps. “ _ Fuck _ me, Iggy, give it to me. I want it hard, please, I wanna feel it for  _ days,  _ please…”

Ignis moans deeply at Prompto’s plead, squeezing Prompto’s throat a bit harder as he thrusts upward into Prompto at the same time. He frees Prompto’s throat from his grasp in order to grip both of Prompto’s hips tightly, delivering hard, rough thrusts up into Prompto as requested, holding him in place.

“ _ Prompto,” _ Ignis moans, continuing his fast and brutal pace as his cock pushes into Prompto nice and hard.

“Oh, shit,” Prompto whimpers, voice thoroughly debauched, “that’s so good, baby, keep going,  _ please _ .”

Ignis obliges, wrapping his arm around Prompto’s waist fully to hold him even more in place as he gives Prompto  _ everything _ he has. Ignis delivers his hardest thrust yet, and Prompto shudders, whining low. Ignis uses his free hand to slide up Prompto’s chest and up his neck, pressing his thumb to the corner of Prompto’s mouth. Ignis keeps his eyes locked on Prompto’s as Prompto immediately takes his thumb into his mouth. He reaches up to push more of Ignis’s fingers into his mouth, tongue swirling around them as Ignis fucks him. 

Ignis moans louder the more Prompto sucks on his fingers. “You like this?” Ignis murmurs. “Do you like it when I take you like this, love?”

Prompto whimpers as Ignis thrusts up into him particularly roughly, cock hitting his prostate head on. He squeezes his eyes shut and arches his back at the sensation, a breathless moan leaving his lips. Every time Ignis’s cock nails his prostate sends him closer and closer to the edge. His own cock is practically leaking steadily onto Ignis’s shirt at this point, and neither of them seem to care. Ignis moves his fingers from Prompto’s mouth so that he can answer.

“Uh--uh huh,” Prompto whines as soon as he can find his voice again. “You fuck me so nice and hard, Iggy…” Prompto looks into Ignis’s eyes. “D-did you wanna do this before today?”

Ignis responds with another hard thrust up into Prompto. “Without a doubt, Prompto,  _ oh--” _

Prompto moans at the same time as Ignis. He leans back for a moment as he holds onto Ignis’s shoulders, letting Ignis take control as he fucks Prompto roughly. Prompto  _ loves _ this, letting Ignis have his way with him. He closes his eyes in pleasure for the briefest of moments before he responds. “When I was sucking your dick last night?”

“ _ Yes,” _ Ignis groans.

“Earlier than that?”

Ignis nods, locking eyes with him. “Yes, love.”

“When you gave me that handjob…?”

“More than you’d ever know,” Ignis admits breathlessly. “I came so hard in the shower that morning thinking of what it would be like to do this to you.”

Prompto whimpers. “Yeah?” he asks, just as breathless as he thrusts down onto Ignis’s cock harder. “Earlier than that…?”

“Yes.”

Prompto gasps, smiling a little. “How long ago…?”

Ignis mirrors his smile. “Earlier than I’d care to admit.”

“Shit,” Prompto laughs breathlessly. “Me, too.  _ Gods, _ me too. I’m-- I’m so close, baby…”

Prompto reaches down his body so he can touch himself. He grips the base of his cock, throbbing in his grip at the attention. He’s not going to last much longer, especially now that he’s touching himself, giving his cock quick, rough strokes that send waves of pleasure through his whole body.

“Oh,  _ shit,” _ Prompto groans as Ignis’s cock hits his prostate head on. He shivers, fingernails digging into Ignis’s shoulder with his free hand. “Right there,  _ please.” _

Ignis smirks up at Prompto, thrusting upward  _ hard _ for Prompto. “Right here, love?”

Prompto releases a high-pitched whine as Ignis’s cock hits his prostate over and over. “ _ Yes, _ Iggy,  _ please--”  _ Prompto gasps as his cock leaks onto his fingers at a steady pace as he shakily tries to stroke himself to completion. His free hand slides up to tug on Ignis’s hair, earning a soft groan from Ignis that tingles pleasantly down Prompto’s spine.

Prompto continues to stroke himself, teetering on the edge of coming as pleasure pools in his groin. Ignis slides a hand down and pulls Prompto’s fingers away from his cock. Prompto whines shakily, so close to coming. “I wanna come, Iggy, please, make me come…”

“Mmmm, I’ll let you come,” Ignis promises. “Come on me like the good boy that I know you are.”

Ignis wraps his hand around Prompto’s cock instead, squeezing it tightly as he fucks Prompto roughly. He starts to stroke Prompto quickly, nothing like the slow, teasing handjob from yesterday. His pace is just as brutal as his thrusts into Prompto. His fingers feel so good squeezing Prompto’s cock, coaxing an orgasm out of him. Prompto’s jaw drops in pleasure as he pushes his cock further into Ignis’s grip.

“Oh, Gods, Iggy, I’m gonna… I’m gonna come,  _ baby--” _ Prompto whines, feeling his cock throb, spilling his cum all over Ignis’s hand. He shudders as Ignis keeps the pace that he’s fucking into him as Prompto comes hard, breathless as he fucks his orgasm out into Ignis’s fist.

“That’s it,  _ yes _ , that’s breathtaking, love,” Ignis encourages with a soft moan, stroking him to completion. “You look absolutely beautiful when you come, Prompto.” 

“ _ Iggy,” _ Prompto whimpers, his head falling forward onto Ignis’s shoulder, nearing overstimulation. He shudders with every post-orgasmic thrust that Ignis delivers to him, whining into Ignis’s neck. He kind of loves it, though; he loves the way his body trembles in protest as Ignis gives him way too much. This is his absolute  _ favorite _ part.

“Are you alright, darling, shall I stop?” Ignis whispers in Prompto’s ear.

Prompto whimpers at the thought. “ _ No _ , baby, I w-wanna feel you come. I want you,  _ please--” _

Ignis moans, gripping Prompto’s hips tightly as he keeps his pace. Prompto rolls his hips, meeting him halfway, wanting to coax Ignis’s orgasm into him. Prompto clenches, tightening himself on Ignis’s cock, and that’s all it really takes. Ignis’s fingers dig painfully into his hips as he feels the wet warmth of Ignis’s orgasm start to spill inside of him as he comes.

“Ngh,  _ Prompto,” _ Ignis pants as he fucks his orgasm into Prompto, breathless and desperate to chase that pleasure. Prompto shudders, taking everything Ignis gives him, loving how Ignis fills him up.

“Yeah, baby,” Prompto sighs tiredly. “Gods, that feels so good.”

Ignis lets out a soft moan, his pace into Prompto slowing. He reaches up to cradle Prompto’s face as he pulls Prompto in for a kiss. Prompto kisses him back eagerly, his tongue tangling with Ignis’s. Prompto whimpers against Ignis’s mouth as he feels Ignis’s cock slide out of him. He feels so empty now, shuddering as Ignis kisses him.

Ignis breaks the kiss but continues to stroke Prompto’s face gently with his thumb. “Are you alright, darling? Have I hurt you?”

Prompto holds Ignis’s hand against his face, sighing pleasurably. “No way, Iggy. That was amazing. I’m great. Are you okay?”

“More than,” Ignis promises.

Prompto leans in for another selfish kiss, wanting Ignis even more despite what they’ve just done to each other. If Ignis doesn’t want this, it doesn’t show; Ignis kisses him back with just as much enthusiasm.

“Shit,” Prompto laughs, still a little breathless. “I can’t believe we did that.”

Ignis’s tone fails to sound casual. “Having second thoughts?”

“No!” Prompto says way too quickly. “That was… hot. Definitely the best I’ve ever had.”

“For me, as well,” Ignis promises, giving him yet another chaste kiss. “Get dressed, love. We’re pushing our luck out here.”

Prompto giggles. “Maybe. No one comes out here, though.”

“Except for perhaps us, as we just did very recently,” Ignis teases with a wink.

Prompto can’t help but snicker. “Good one, Iggy.”

Still, Prompto obliges. He feels like a mess; he definitely will need a shower sooner than later, but it’ll have to wait. Prompto slides his jeans and boxers back up his legs, the remnants of their play still very much inside of him. Prompto shudders at the thought.

Prompto jumps at the sound of his phone ringing, distracting him from his thoughts. Prompto checks the caller ID, and feels a little bit of his post-coital high fade and replace with nervousness.

“Shit, it’s my dad,” Prompto says. “I am so not wanting to have this conversation when I’m sex happy.” He pouts dramatically.

Ignis, who has already tucked himself back into his pants and cleaned his hand of Prompto’s mess, holds his palm out for the phone. “Allow me?”

Prompto raises an eyebrow, plopping on the ground next to him. “For reals?  _ You _ wanna talk to my dad? Figured you’d be all, ‘ _ face your problems, Prompto’,” _ Prompto teases, mocking Ignis’s posh accent.

Ignis laughs harder than Prompto expects him to, and it warms his heart. “Final offer; you’ll miss your call,” he teases back warningly.

Prompto chews on his lip, considering it for half of a second before handing Ignis the phone. As Ignis answers, he can’t help but think about how domestic this whole exchange was -- how much Ignis is acting like a real boyfriend, fiancé,  _ husband -- _ without anyone having to witness it at all. Prompto’s heart thuds with affection. He thought maybe sleeping with Ignis would get his lust for the man out of his system, but Prompto realizes there’s far more than just lust here, and he’s realized it far too late. 

Prompto, well, he’s definitely in love with Ignis Scientia.

As he listens to Ignis talk to Cor, even laughing with Cor (what the hell is his dad even saying to Ignis?), he knows that being in love with Ignis is just something he’s going to have to live with. He’ll tell him when they get back to Insomnia, Ignis will politely -- always so politely -- reject him and still give him everything he could ever possibly want to make up for it. Prompto might grow numb to it in a few weeks, months,  _ years,  _ but he will always be in love with Ignis. It’s just how it always ends up being for Prompto. What has he ever done to deserve someone like Ignis? Ignis, on the other hand, deserves far better. He deserves the world. Prompto only wishes he could be the one to give it to him.

Prompto’s internal thoughts cause his heart to hammer with worry, and despite the carefree look he sees in Ignis’s eyes, he reaches over and grabs Ignis’s hand nervously, without warning. He really doesn’t want to lose Ignis’s friendship because of his dumb romantic feelings. 

Ignis looks over, a peculiar expression in his eyes at the sudden gesture. He grips Prompto’s hand back, and to make it worse for Prompto’s fickle heart, he brings Prompto’s hand to his lips and kisses it during a lull in his side of the phone conversation. Prompto flushes for a reason entirely different than sex, and holds Ignis’s hand tighter.

Friends with benefits do that kind of stuff, right? Maybe Ignis doesn’t mean it romantically.

Prompto’s a mess, essentially.

Clearly, his best option is to talk to him about it. ‘ _ Hey, Iggy, was this sex just for fun or did it mean something more to you?’ _ But while Ignis is stuck here with him in order to get married to save his immigration status, it wouldn’t exactly be cool of him to corner Ignis with something like…  _ romantic  _ feelings, Astrals forbid.

“Still with me, Prompto?” Ignis asks amusedly, bringing Prompto back down to Eos.

Prompto must have missed the entire end of the call while he was wallowing in self-pity, seeing as Ignis is currently trying to hand his phone back to him.

Prompto pockets his phone sheepishly. “Gods, sorry, I was… thinkin’.” Prompto feels Ignis’s eyes on him again, but he doesn’t look over. 

“What ever about?” Ignis asks gently.

Prompto laughs nervously, finally looking over at Ignis. “Oh, you know. Nothin’ and everything. What’d my dad want? You two sounded pretty close.”

Ignis is silent for a moment, lips pressed in a thin line, like he’s trying to figure out what to say. “...Your father had our wedding attire delivered as a sort of gesture of good will,” he explains. “Whenever we head back, we should try them on before tomorrow morning.”

Butterflies flood through Prompto’s stomach. He fiddles with the ring on his finger. Now that they probably have suits for their little makeshift wedding, it seems even more real. It always did, but it’s just so  _ close. _ Prompto feels a little guilty, ‘marrying’ Ignis when he has these feelings for him, even though there’s technically no difference between now and when he first agreed to it.

“Are you certain you’re alright, Prompto?” Ignis asks, having to break Prompto from his thoughts yet  _ again. _ He sounds a lot more worried than before.

“Uh huh,” Prompto lies. “I’m kinda worried about talking to my dad and stuff. Big day tomorrow.”

“I understand,” Ignis soothes, gently caressing Prompto’s hand, “but I will be there with you. It will be alright. Do you wish to head back now?”

Prompto’s eyebrows shoot up. “We didn’t get anything done. I mean… work-related.” He snorts, flushing a little.

Ignis chuckles. “I do believe I told you I didn’t intend for us to…?” he teases, voice lilting a bit seductively. Despite having  _ just _ fooled around with Ignis, Prompto’s heart races. “While you slept, I worked a bit so we wouldn’t have to.”

Prompto frowns. “Iggy! You gotta let me help. Quit trying to do everything yourself. We’re a  _ team _ now, remember?” He laughs.

Ignis smiles. “Don’t fret, I didn’t do much. You were all but attached to me while you were asleep, it was a bit difficult to even manage to get a hold of my phone. However, I did put Luna in charge for the rest of our stay, along with Ravus.”

Prompto snorts. “I’d apologize, but I’m not really sorry.” He knocks their shoulders together playfully. “How’d Luna take it?”

“There was some minor fussing, but I made the point that it’d only be until tomorrow, and she was indubitably persuaded.”

Prompto grins, leaning in to kiss Ignis’s cheek teasingly. “My hero, huh, babe?”

Ignis reaches over with his free hand to grip Prompto’s chin with a gentle touch. “I do try,” he says softly, before pressing the tenderest kiss to Prompto’s lips.

Prompto lets his eyes slide closed, the soft texture of Ignis’s lips always a reminder of what they just did here together. He sighs into the kiss, and wonders if maybe, just maybe, there’s a chance that there’s more behind Ignis’s decision to kiss him other than just loneliness.

Ignis is the first to break the kiss, his pretty green eyes blinking open, gazing from Prompto’s mouth up to his eyes, a wistful expression on his face that not even Prompto can self-doubt his way out of.

“Gods, Iggy, you really know how to sweep a guy off his feet,” Prompto murmurs, hoping that’s safe enough to say.

Ignis laughs, a gentle, carefree sound. Prompto’s not heard him laugh so much the entire time he’s known him, and he’s a little proud of that -- just a little. “I’m rather relieved it’s working,” Ignis admits before letting go of Prompto’s chin, much to Prompto’s disappointment. “Shall we, then?”

Prompto sighs defeatedly. “Alright. Let’s go.”

Prompto can’t believe he’s about to go try on a suit for his wedding to the man he just had sex with. How is his life this weird?


	10. Chapter 10

The car ride back to Lestallum is thankfully less tense than earlier. Prompto feels relaxed somehow, even rolling the windows down to feel the breeze through his hair, despite usually hating it (it ruins his perfectly coiffed hair, of course). Prompto takes more pictures, but stops halfway there in favor of grabbing Ignis’s hand that’s extended to him across the center console. 

Prompto really tries to ignore the way Ignis’s lips twitch into a subtle smile despite keeping his eyes on the road as soon as Prompto touches him, but he fails -- once again.

Ignis really is so beautiful no matter what he does. Even the way he  _ drives _ is sexy. Prompto’s not even sure how that’s possible.

Prompto suddenly remembers that he does, in fact, have a life outside of Ignis, and decides to check his phone. He has several unread messages from Noct, which makes him involuntarily smile.

** _Noct (11:02AM): _ ** _ did anything happen??? _

** _Noct (12:42PM): _ ** _ prom _

** _Noct (1:35PM): _ ** _ i know ur probably busy suckin specs dick but talk to meeeee it sucks without u _

** _Prompto (2:03PM): _ ** _ sorry dude i was uhhhh a little busy i miss you too buddy _

** _Prompto (2:05PM): _ ** _ me and iggy are… um… well we just fucked and i think my dicks gonna fall off _

** _Noct (2:10PM): _ ** _ shit dude nice im so proud are u guys like a thing now? _

** _Prompto (2:11PM): _ ** _ i have nooo idea. God i hope so. Hows gladio ;)  _

The next two messages are Noct’s string of lewd, dick-shaped emojis along with him telling him to just say something to Ignis, which Prompto can at least agree with. Looking over at Ignis with his hand still in his own, it seems awful to break the peace that’s settled between the two of them.

Despite how happy he feels right now to be able to touch Ignis freely -- in fact, Ignis seems to welcome it -- when they park to head into his house he’s a bundle of nerves again. Even if Cor is apparently not mad at him anymore, Prompto hates having to deal with awkwardness, no matter who is involved.

“Everything will be alright, Prompto,” Ignis whispers to him as they stand outside the door. “Look at me?”

Prompto has no idea why he’s asking something so… intimate until he looks over at Ignis, who wears the tiniest smirk. Ignis reaches forward, pulling Prompto’s collar on his vest up, covering his neck. It’s only then when Prompto remembers just what Ignis’s mouth had done to his neck.

_ Shit. _ Thank Gods Ignis remembered; Prompto was about to head inside and talk to his father with a neck full of hickies.

“I may have gotten carried away,” Ignis notes, still amused. “Apologies.”

“It’s fine, I just forgot they were there.” Prompto laughs, reaching up to make sure his neck is fully covered, feeling his cheeks heat up. “Are you sure it’s okay?”

“They’re completely hidden, love,” Ignis says.

Prompto believes him, nodding as he turns to the door again, exhaling loudly. Ignis continues to hold Prompto’s hand when they head inside, and he’s so glad. It brings him more comfort than he ever thought possible. He even feels Ignis squeeze his hand from time to time, another reassurance.

Prompto sighs defeatedly. “Dad?” he calls out reluctantly.

Cor appears from down the hallway. “Prompto,” he says with relief. “I’m glad you’re alright.”

Prompto knows he should say something, but instead he looks at the ground, cheeks probably redder than ever as he fidgets with Ignis’s hand gripped tightly in his own.

He hears Cor sigh. “I’m sorry about earlier,” Cor continues. “I shouldn’t have said any of that. I should have trusted you. You’re right, maybe I am a little too protective. Can you blame me?” He laughs bitterly. “You and your sister are the best kids in the world. I want you to be happy.”

“I  _ am _ happy,” Prompto insists. Well, as happy as he can be in this situation. “I’m, uh, sorry I wasn’t completely honest.” Ignis chuckles from next to him, and squeezes his hand. Prompto can’t help but laugh at the silent reminder. “Okay, I’m sorry I  _ lied,” _ he clarifies.

Cor lets out a breath. “Let’s just not make a habit of it, alright?”

“And you’re not gonna make a habit of checking out of my relationships are real…?” Prompto can’t help but point out.

“Don’t see how I can anymore, seeing as you’re marrying Ignis,” Cor points out with a laugh. “But you’re right. I promise I’ll trust you more.”

Prompto shoves the pangs of guilt that flood him. Is it  _ really _ lying about being in love if he actually  _ is _ in love with the man? Technically, no -- at least that’s what Prompto tells himself.

“Thanks. I’ll try to be more honest with you. I mean, as long as you don’t blow a gasket every time I do anything,” Prompto teases.

“Hey, c’mon, now. Easy on your old man,” he jokes. “Gonna give me a hug?”

Prompto rolls his eyes dramatically, but can’t help but run over and hug his father, squeezing him tightly. He’s so glad things are relatively okay again, despite the fact that he’s in love with the one man he’s not supposed to be in love with -- and happens to be marrying him. That doesn’t even include the fact that Prompto is  _ still _ breaking his father’s trust by not letting him know about any of it.

“You got yourself a keeper, Prompto,” Cor says as he hugs Prompto. “Ignis really loves you.”

Prompto’s heart pangs with longing. He meets Ignis’s eyes while he hugs his father, and Ignis gives him a soft smile. He secretly hates Ignis for being so believable here -- except he can’t hate him, not even a little bit.

Prompto smiles back as he separates himself from Cor. “I don’t plan on letting him go,” Prompto promises, with a little too much honesty.

Prompto walks back over to Ignis, who wraps an arm around Prompto’s waist, pulling him close. Prompto sighs wistfully.

“You guys done being all mushy in here?” Aranea’s voice comes from the kitchen as she emerges. “You alright, shortcake?”

Prompto laughs sheepishly. “Hey, ‘Nea. What are you doing here?”

Aranea grins. “Dad called me in a panic after you two got into whatever fight you had. Came over to make sure things were good.”

“It’s rather nice to see you, despite the circumstances,” Ignis says by way of greeting.

Aranea nods her head toward Ignis’s direction. “Hey there, Ignis. Glad you got in between these two before they started throwin’ punches.” She laughs. “But seriously, thanks for being here for Prom. Today  _ and _ last night.”

Ignis chuckles at Aranea’s claim. “Now,  _ that _ never requires any thanks.”

“I  _ am _ in the room, y’know,” Prompto teases.

“Wait, what happened last night?” Cor asks, a bit too curious to remain neutral.

“Oh, some drunk asshole started harassing Prom while I was in the back room. Ignis nearly broke the guy’s arm,” Aranea says with a smirk. “I was proud.”

Cor raises an eyebrow. “Wow. You continue to impress, Ignis.”

Ignis pushes his glasses up his nose as his cheeks tinge pink. “Come now, it’s nothing. I would protect Prompto with everything I have,” he promises.

Prompto tries to ignore how fast his heart beats at that statement, not to mention his family’s embarrassing Ignis so much that he’s blushing. It’s no secret that he loves how protective Ignis can apparently get. 

“Guys,” Prompto groans, pretending to hate it. “Stop the torture, for  _ reaaaals. _ I wanna try on the suits! Please? My camera ain’t gonna fill itself!”

Cor laughs. “Alright, alright. I laid them on your bed. Don’t ruin them before tomorrow, Prompto.” 

“Hey! Have some faith in me, won’t ya? C’mon, Iggy, I wanna see how handsome you look,” Prompto says, dragging Ignis toward his room. “Well,  _ handsomer, _ I should say.”

Ignis can’t help but laugh as he’s dragged mercilessly. “I do believe I should be the one saying such things to  _ you.” _

“Nah, I ain’t much to look at. Well, maybe I will be in  _ this,” _ Prompto teases with a wink as he picks up the plastic-covered suit as soon as they reach his bedroom. “You wanna take the bathroom?”

“On the contrary, Prompto, you’re always quite something to look at.” Ignis smiles. “You may take it, if you’d like. I’ll be quicker, as I’m used to this sort of attire. I would hate to burst out and catch you nude,” he purrs, that seductive tease from earlier returning to his tone.

Prompto snorts. “Yeah, that’d be  _ terrible. _ You’ve totes  _ never _ seen my junk before or anything.”

Ignis smirks. “Never.” He leans in and kisses Prompto’s forehead. “I’ll see you in but a moment, love.”

Prompto’s heart continues to fly at Ignis’s term of endearment even long after he’s shut the bathroom door. He should be used to it by now; he calls Prompto that with or without an audience now. Still, he can’t help but love it.

He’s really going to miss that in a few months.

Prompto only fumbles with his dress shirt buttons a few times, not to mention whether to untuck or tuck in his shirt -- he settles for the latter, finally. He doesn’t bother putting the bowtie on; he’ll have to have Ignis help him with that, as it’s a lost cause. He looks at the upper half of his body in the bathroom mirror, and an involuntary smile appears on his reflection. His eyes fall on the hickeys Ignis left on his neck, and he watches himself flush as his fingers reach up to touch them. There’s not two, but three marks on his neck -- Prompto doesn’t even remember when Ignis gave him the third. He represses a shudder, loving the feeling of being marked by Iggy.

Despite the marks on Prompto’s neck that he covers up by upturning his shirt collar, he feels like a prince in these clothes; a prince set to marry someone a million times more beautiful than he could ever hope to be. 

Prompto can only imagine how stunning Ignis looks in his clothes. It’s with that thought that he shoves his way out of the bathroom door, bowtie in hand, hoping to find Ignis.

“Iggy, I suck at bowties, can you--” Prompto stops himself when he realizes that Ignis isn’t even in his room. “Iggy?”

“I’m in the living room, darling,” Ignis’s voice calls out to him. “Aranea wished to see us.”

Prompto laughs, knowing how impatient his sister can be. “I’m comin’, and I have problems.” Prompto opens his bedroom door, dangling his bowtie in front of him. “I can’t put this thing on to save my life,” he whines.

There’s a brief moment of silence that causes Prompto to look up, and finds everyone practically staring at him with smiles on their faces.

“Oh, blondie, I might actually cry. You look great,” Aranea gushes, the first one to speak. She’s standing in front of Ignis, blocking Prompto’s view of him, much to Prompto’s disappointment.

Prompto feels his cheeks heat up. “Eh, it’s nothin’. Okay, maybe it’s a little cool,” he admits with a smile. “Do I look okay, Dad?”

Cor looks about ready to burst a blood vessel, not wanting to shed a tear or show any sort of vulnerability, which makes Prompto snort. “You look amazing, Prompto. I can’t believe how quickly time flies. I remember fitting you in my arms when you were just a baby.”

Aranea snorts. “I mean, he’s kinda small. You could probably still do that.”

Prompto rolls his eyes. “Enough laughing at my expense. Alright, where’s my doting fiancé?” he asks as he looks down, fiddling with his cufflinks. Prompto never could get the hang of buttoning them easily.

Aranea makes a snorting noise, a weird enough sound from her to get Prompto to look up in confusion from his cufflink disaster. Prompto quickly realizes that she’s making that noise at Ignis, who is currently staring at Prompto.

Ignis’s jaw is practically on the floor, staring at Prompto like he’s the only man in all of Eos.

Prompto can’t even get Ignis to meet his eyes. All he’s looking at is Prompto’s white tux, which probably looks like a pretty hilarious contrast against how red he must be under Ignis’s attention.

Prompto almost can’t even focus on his own embarrassment, considering that he’s never seen Ignis look so beautiful in all his life. He’s ogled the man in  _ pajamas _ , and yet Prompto can’t seem to get his feet to move forward, or even breathe, it feels like; he throws that all away in favor of staring at Ignis. The dark purple suit makes him look absolutely regal, and compliments the coolness of his ash blonde hair, still a bit messy from when they had sex earlier. Prompto likes it a little better like that, he realizes -- messy. Ignis’s bowtie is completely straight, however, and he looks like he’s fallen straight out of their own magazine, picture perfect in every way.

“Goodness, Prompto,” Ignis says before Prompto can even remember he has vocal cords. “You look utterly breathtaking.”

Prompto’s goblin brain can’t help but remember the last time Ignis called him  _ breathtaking _ was when his dick was inside him. That’s probably not the best thing to think of when he’s surrounded by family, yet, here Prompto is, being as much of a disaster as usual.

Finally, their eyes lock, and Ignis looks near  _ tears. _ Prompto knows Ignis is one for dramatics, but he didn’t know Ignis would take it  _ this _ far. Prompto laughs nervously, his lips stretching into a grin.

“I tell you this  _ way _ too much but I seriously think you’re the most beautiful guy alive,” Prompto says, completely undignified and nowhere near as flattering as Ignis’s comment. “Holy shit.”

Aranea rolls her eyes. “Don’t worry, Ignis, that’s basically the highest Prompto compliment one can get.”

Aranea’s teasing snaps Prompto back into reality slightly, at least enough to take his eyes off of Ignis to shoot a glare at his sister. “Shut up, dude, it’s not my fault I’m marrying the fanciest guy in existence. Everything I say sounds like crap after he talks.”

Prompto sees Ignis raise an eyebrow out of the corner of his eye, expression clearly amused. “Nonsense. Come, Prompto, I’ll put your bowtie on for you?”

Prompto has to remind himself it’d be a little dramatic to run across the room to him. He’ll apparently jump at any chance to get closer to Ignis, especially when he’s dressed like this. Prompto still can’t get over how perfect he looks, and up close, it’s even worse.

“Good. You owe me like, 20 selfies, dude,” Prompto whispers as soon as they close the distance between each other, putting his bowtie in Ignis’s gloved hand.

Ignis laughs, a soft noise. “Well, I would certainly hate to disappoint,” he murmurs to himself mostly as he gently lifts up Prompto’s collar. 

Prompto doesn’t know why it feels so intimate; perhaps it’s how sensitive his neck is, or how beautiful and close Ignis is to him, or maybe because of what they’ve shared together today -- or a combination of all three. He knows Ignis is taking care to hide the marks Ignis left on his neck earlier, but Prompto’s heart still manages to thud in his chest as he feels Ignis tie the soft cloth around his neck, measuring with his fingers and fastening the bowtie. Prompto can’t help but smile as he watches Ignis get lost in the simple task, having no idea that Prompto’s looking at him like he’s everything to him. Prompto loves the way his brow furrows in concentration, his pretty pink lips tucked between his teeth, green gaze fixated on tying the bowtie once it lies long enough on one side. Prompto giggles a little when Ignis’s gloves gently tickle the flesh of his neck, and grins even more when the sound breaks Ignis’s concentration enough to smile. Affection floods through Prompto’s poor gay heart at the sight.

As soon as Ignis meets his eyes, looking a bit sheepish that he lost himself for a moment, Prompto slides his hand up Ignis’s chest to lock around his neck. “You look real cute doin’ that, not gonna lie,” Prompto can’t help but tell him.

Ignis’s smile widens, his arms encircling Prompto’s waist as soon as his bowtie is straightened. There’s a gentle pink flush to Ignis’s cheeks at the compliment, and Prompto wants to take no less than 50 photos of it. “Perhaps only because it is you who I am doing it for.”

“Oh, my Gods. You guys are gonna give me diabetes… or make me throw up. Maybe both,” Aranea says from next to them, reminding Prompto that Aranea and Cor are still in the room.

Ignis smirks, breaking his attention from Prompto. “Apologies, Aranea.”

Prompto snorts. “I’m not sorry.”

Ignis returns his gaze to Prompto with a gentle smile, reaching up to gently stroke Prompto’s cheekbone with a gloved finger. The touch still feels good, Prompto sighing wistfully at it, feeling his cheeks heat up. Prompto almost forgets there’s others in the room again when they’re like this, tightening his grip around Ignis’s neck.

“Your photos, Prompto? We shouldn’t stay in these clothes for too long. Wouldn’t want to sully them before tomorrow.” Ignis’s voice is soft as he continues his gentle touch.

“Here, shortcake, I’ll take some pics of you two. Where’s your camera?” Aranea asks.

Smiling, Prompto tosses her his camera. “Be careful with her. She’s fragile.”

She rolls her eyes. “Says the kid who just tossed it at me.” She laughs. “Alright, get all snuggly or whatever.”

Prompto snorts at her suggestion; they’re already ‘snuggly’ with arms wrapped tightly around each other. They both instinctively turn toward the camera, and Prompto decides to push his luck.

“Cheek kiss?” Prompto whispers up at Ignis hopefully.

Ignis lets out a short but gentle laugh. “Certainly.”

Prompto leans up on the balls of his feet to press a kiss to Ignis’s cheek, when Ignis turns his head at the last minute to capture his lips. The kiss is chaste, but Prompto erupts into a fit of giggles, knowing Aranea is taking a photo of every second of this and he’s bound to look like a blush-ridden, lovesick  _ dork. _

When they part, even Aranea has to laugh. “Okay, not gonna lie, this one’s the best. I’d definitely put that in your office, or wherever you hang your hat these days, Prom.”

“Lemme see!” Prompto nearly squeaks, disentangling himself from Ignis to snatch the camera out of Aranea’s hand, much to everyone’s amusement.

Prompto can’t scroll to the photo fast enough. Finally, he finds it; the best one. In the photograph, Ignis is turned to the side with a closed-mouthed smile on his face as his lips press to Prompto’s. Ignis is wearing one of those adorable smiles of his that manages to reach his eyes, shutting them entirely. Prompto, on the other hand, is all teeth, making the kiss look funny but genuine as his entire face is flushed red. As stupid as he looks, it’s the cutest thing he’s ever seen.

“What a darling photo,” Ignis murmurs, echoing his thoughts. 

“I love it... Iggy, your smile,” Prompto whispers, breaking his own heart as he realizes the smile in the picture is all for show. “I love it when you smile like that.”

Ignis doesn’t respond for a moment, and Prompto’s about to look up to check if he went too far when Ignis answers, “You quite often make me smile in that way.”

Prompto’s heart thuds. “Shit, I love you,” Prompto blurts. His family can write it off as part of the act, but he can’t. He means those words more than anything. 

Ignis smiles, but it doesn’t reach his eyes as he strokes Prompto’s face gently. “And I you.”

Prompto bites his lip; it’s his fancy way of saying it back, Prompto knows this  _ rationally. _ But Prompto’s never been a rational man, and  _ irrationally, _ a nagging thought won’t leave him alone.

_ Ignis didn’t say it back, not technically. _

Prompto wonders if his accidental declaration of love made Ignis uncomfortable. It shouldn’t, if this is all supposed to be pretend.

Before Prompto’s mind can get into any more technicalities, Cor clears his throat, effectively distracting him. “Look at it later, guys? I’m going to have a coronary if Prompto stays in those clothes.”

Prompto sighs, expelling his bad energy and rolls his eyes. “Fine. C’mon, Iggy.”

Ignis laughs as Prompto drags him to his room. “A wise decision, I must say.”

“Hey! You’re supposed to be Team Prompto, Igster!”

“My apologies.” Ignis’s tone is gentle and amused.

Prompto relaxes once they’re being playful with each other. Prompto’s slip-up didn’t seem to have a lasting impact, and Prompto’s grateful for that. As soon as they’re alone, Prompto starts unbuttoning and unzipping his fancy suit, shrugging out of his suit jacket. As soon as he looks around, he realizes he can’t find his shirt anywhere -- it’s not even in the bathroom.

“Hey, Iggy? Where’s my-- shirt--?”

Ignis raises an eyebrow. “I’m uncertain, where did you last leave it?”

“I dunno.”

“Do you not have another shirt?”

Prompto winces. “Only pajamas…? I didn’t expect us to be gone this long. Can you help me look a little?”

Ignis sighs, but it’s nothing but fond. “I will certainly attempt it, but if you’re anything resembling Noct, I shall deem it a lost cause in no longer than ten minutes.”

Prompto snorts as his brow furrows, looking all over where he undressed for his missing shirt. All he can find is Ignis’s shirt, folded neatly on his dresser. Prompto smirks as Ignis is still distracted looking for Prompto’s shirt. He picks up the soft, expensive, designer button-up and slides the much-too-long sleeves on him, buttoning it only enough to keep it on him.

“How ‘bout I just… wear this?” Prompto teases.

“I’m certain it will suffice--” Ignis stops in his tracks once he spins around to look at Prompto wearing Ignis’s shirt. “Astrals above.”

Prompto wasn’t exactly expecting  _ that _ reaction; at most, maybe a fond, ‘enough games, Prompto’, or something like that. Ignis, however, is looking at him with pure unadulterated  _ lust. _ Not even Prompto’s insecurities can write  _ that _ off.

It’s not as if Prompto isn’t going to take advantage of this.

“Want your shirt back, Iggy?” Prompto asks innocently, tugging on the hem of it.

Ignis crosses the room in several quick steps, dress shirt half-unbuttoned, to wrap his arms around Prompto. His grip slides just underneath Prompto’s ass so that he can hoist Prompto up into Ignis’s arms, lifting him up effortlessly, looking up at him lecherously. 

Prompto squeaks in surprise. “ _ Iggy!” _ He laughs breathlessly, arms sliding around Ignis’s neck to hold on, letting his legs wrap around Ignis’s waist. “Shit, you  _ do _ work out, don’t you?”

“You aren’t particularly heavy,” Ignis teases, his mouth ghosting along Prompto’s jawline. “I could do whatever I’d like with you.”

Prompto’s eyes widen as he lets out a rather undignified moan, head tilting back slightly. “Fuck,  _ please.” _

Ignis smirks and backs him into the bed, the back of Prompto’s legs hitting it as Ignis lets him down gently. Ignis presses himself top of Prompto quickly thereafter. Ignis pushes his knee against Prompto’s groin, and Prompto can’t even tease anymore. He lets out a soft moan, legs locking around Ignis’s waist again to secure the man to him. His boxers are practically ruined from the last time Ignis got a hold of him, yet here Prompto is, wanting even  _ more. _

“You have no idea what you wearing this does to me,” Ignis purrs in his ear, leaning in to drag Prompto’s earlobe between his teeth and  _ tugging. _

Prompto gasps, rolling his hips selfishly upward to feel Ignis’s arousal against his own. “S-starting to get an idea,  _ fuck--” _

Prompto’s cut off by Ignis’s lips on his, and he can hardly swallow the loud moan that threatens to escape his throat. He has to be quiet, his family is in the other room, but all he can concentrate on is the way Ignis’s tongue brushes into his mouth, the way his cock feels against Ignis’s--

“Hey, you two, whenever you’re done dressing, dinner’s ready!” Cor calls from the living room.

Prompto startles for a moment, looking at Ignis in alarm. Prompto’s self-control wavers entirely once Ignis buries his face into Prompto’s neck, locking his mouth onto Prompto’s neck. Prompto relaxes back into his mattress, sighing wistfully. His arms slide around Ignis’s neck as his nails start to dig into the meat of Ignis’s shoulders, holding on as Ignis delivers yet another hickey to Prompto’s neck. Prompto’s helpless to resist; he wants it so badly he can hardly think straight.

“Sh-shit, yeah, keep going, just a little longer,” Prompto begs, desperate to keep Ignis close.

Ignis finishes his work on Prompto’s neck, bringing his mouth to Prompto’s ear again. “Wear this all night for me, love,” Ignis purrs, “I wish I could take you all over again right this very second.”

“You can,” Prompto suggests, “ _ please.” _

Ignis chuckles, mouth finding Prompto’s as he presses another quick kiss. “We haven’t the time for all I wish to do to you. I could utterly  _ devour _ you.”

Prompto looks up at him, heart hammering. “Later…?” He leans up, desperate for another kiss that Ignis gives to him readily. 

Ignis smirks. “Indeed.”

It takes a moment for Prompto to regain the use of his legs after that. Prompto had no idea Ignis was so spontaneous, so damn  _ sexy. _ Prompto can only imagine what kind of treats he’d be in for if this was a real relationship. Still, friends with benefits seemed to be an ongoing thing, and for that, Prompto is  _ very,  _ very grateful.

Prompto gets dressed after that, adjusting his pants to conceal the evidence of their play to join his sister and his father for a meal. Prompto keeps his hand tucked tightly in Ignis’s for as long as he can manage. Prompto keeps Ignis’s shirt on as promised as he sneaks looks at Ignis, knowing the flush on his cheeks is probably red as hell. Sometimes, Ignis catches him looking; he even earns a wink from Ignis which has his dick ready to go in his pants, like a thank-you-note for their play from earlier. It doesn’t help that Ignis’s shirt smells just like him; surrounding himself with Ignis only makes his feelings for the man that much worse.

Prompto really hopes Ignis will make good on his promise and fuck him hard into his mattress later. Or, maybe Prompto can fuck him. He isn’t picky. He just wants anything Ignis will give him, which sounds a little desperate when he thinks about it too much.

“So, Prompto,” Cor says, interrupting his thoughts, “we thought we’d have your ceremony around noon tomorrow. Any protests?”

Prompto shrugs. “Fine with me. Iggy?”

Ignis nods. “Splendid. You were discussing the overlook earlier. Is that still where it would take place?”

“Yeah, that was the plan. Do you guys have any better ideas?” Cor asks.

“Nope. That works for me,” Prompto says nervously.

“I feel similarly,” Ignis agrees. “It’s a lovely place to get married.”

“Speaking of tomorrow, Cindy’s bringing your car back from Hammerhead,” Aranea announces. “So, as soon as the party’s over, you guys can head back to Insomnia.”

The mention of Insomnia throws Prompto through a loop for a second. It isn’t as if they’ve been here long, but so much has changed since they left the city. Prompto wonders how their old routine would fit them now. Would they still sleep together? Would they be cool working side by side still…?

“Excellent,” Ignis says. “Give her my thanks until I can do it myself in person, won’t you?”

Aranea laughs. “Got it. You’re excited to get back to work, aren’t you?”

“That, and many other things,” Ignis admits. “Not that you lot haven’t been very hospitable, considering the circumstances.”

Cor smiles. “Don’t mention it. You  _ are _ family, after all.”

Another pang of guilt. Prompto looks over at Ignis, and he sees Ignis’s eyes darken, his lips pressing into a thin line. It’s so subtle, anyone like Aranea or Cor would miss it -- Prompto sees it, though. 

_ Ignis is uncomfortable. _

Prompto bites his lip. The knowledge that Ignis just can’t wait to get out of here doesn’t help, either. He wishes the other man would be honest, so that Prompto doesn’t make an idiot out of himself --  _ again. _

Prompto sighs, testing the waters. If Ignis really is uncomfortable, he doesn’t want to keep him out here for long. “Especially after tomorrow, right, Iggy? We’ll need a lot of sleep, so… we should probably head to bed.”

Ignis gives Prompto a soft smile, and it almost looks  _ pitying. _ Prompto hopes that’s all in his head, he really does.

“Yes, we should rest up. Shall we, Prompto?” Ignis says, words a bit hurried.

“Uh huh!” Prompto says awkwardly.

Aranea raises an eyebrow. “Hey, kid, you okay?”

_ Shit _ , he’s not holding it together as well as Ignis is. “Yeah, dude! M’fine.”

Aranea doesn’t look convinced, but she lets it go. “Alright. Night, Prom.”

They bid their goodnights, and Prompto can’t help but grab Ignis’s hand as they make their way to bed. Ignis doesn’t respond as affectionately as usual, but doesn’t pull away, either, thankfully. Ignis wouldn’t pull away to begin with, so it doesn’t calm Prompto’s nerves at all.

“So, um. I’m gonna hit up the shower, if that’s cool?” Prompto asks as soon as the door closes.

Ignis smiles, but it still doesn’t reach his eyes as he sits on the edge of the bed. “Of course, Prompto.”

Prompto almost asks what’s up, but decides against it. He doesn’t want to make a big deal out of it if Ignis is uncomfortable. 

Prompto’s lost in thought in the shower, none of his excitement from earlier able to distract him from his negative thoughts. If Ignis wants things to be more formal, then he can definitely do that, right? It’s not like he’s isn’t head over heels for the dude. Prompto could smash his head on the shower wall for being so stupid. He can’t believe he let this happen.

After Prompto showers, he finds Ignis with his phone in his hand, but he isn’t looking at it. He’s looking at the wall opposite of Prompto’s bathroom, completely lost in thought. Ignis usually would be dressed for bed by the time Prompto got out of the shower, so Prompto knows something is still definitely up with him.

“Hey, Igs,” Prompto says softly, sitting on the bed by Ignis’s feet. “You alright, buddy?” Prompto winces at the chosen nickname. Man, he really can be a disaster sometimes.

Ignis nearly startles from his thoughts --  _ nearly. _ He looks over at Prompto finally. “Yes, I’m quite fine. And yourself?”

Prompto can’t help but notice how distant Ignis sounds. He bites back a nervous swallow at it. He bites his lip, thinking of what to say, and fails. Instead, he trails a finger up Ignis’s pant leg teasingly, but his heart isn’t really in it. Still, he makes his way up Ignis’s thigh before saying something.

“So, just got clean… wanna come through and dirty me up, like you promised?” Prompto asks, hoping to lighten the mood, wiggling his eyebrows dramatically.

Ignis smiles, but not fully -- it’s sad, somehow. Prompto just can’t figure out  _ why. _ “I… Prompto, I cannot.”

Prompto withdraws his finger like Ignis’s leg had electrocuted him somehow. “Oh. Yeah, totally, I’m sorry, dude! I read the room wrong. My mistake.”

Prompto gets up off of Ignis’s side of the bed, not wanting to make things worse. He swallows his rejection like a pro, not wanting to make anything weird out of it. He sits on his side of the bed, thoroughly embarrassed regardless.

Prompto feels a hand on his knee, but he’s too embarrassed to look over at Ignis. 

“I apologize. Don’t be insecure, please?” Ignis asks gently.

“‘M not!” Prompto lies weakly. “We got a big day tomorrow, we shouldn’t. I get it!” 

_ Please, drop it, _ Prompto begs internally. He doesn’t know how much more his insecure heart can take. 

“It isn’t that,” Ignis presses, and Prompto wishes he could faint somehow, anything to get him out of this conversation. “I’m afraid I wasn’t being entirely honest with you when you asked me if I was alright. I apologize for that.”

Prompto inhales, holding his breath as he dares to look over at Ignis finally. “That’s no biggie, Iggy! What’s up?”

Ignis removes his hand from Prompto’s knee in favor of clenching it into a gentle fist. He watches Ignis take a few deep breaths before sighing reluctantly, avoiding his gaze. “I firmly believe we should call the wedding off. All of it. I cannot do this to you any longer, Prompto. I’m truly sorry.”

Prompto finally exhales, and feels his heart shatter into a thousand pieces.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OH NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
hang in there yall


	11. Chapter 11

Ignis must have realized that Prompto is in love with him. It’s the only conclusion that Prompto can come to.

Prompto can’t stop thinking about everything and nothing all at once. His mind races through all their interactions and wonders,  _ which one was the last straw? Which one gave it away? _

Prompto thinks of how obvious he was being, how desperate he came across, how completely  _ rude _ he was about Ignis’s boundaries and finds himself curling in on himself, tucking his legs under his arms. Ignis still isn’t looking at him, but Prompto can’t stop staring at him, as he’s officially off limits and out of reach for good.

Prompto’s so stupid for thinking Ignis was touchable, even for the briefest of moments.

Prompto can’t bring himself to speak for a moment. It feels like an eternity, but the silence somehow only lasts a few seconds. He has to do something to fix this,  _ anything _ .

“Wait… wait, no, Iggy, that’s… it doesn’t have to be like that! I swear, hands to myself from now on! I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable, we can do this as, like, strictly friends. Y’know, if you still wanna be my friend -- y’know, if we were  _ ever _ \--”

Ignis finally looks at him, and his eyes are filled to the brim with unshed tears. “Heavens, no, it isn’t that, Prompto. Quite the opposite. I strongly feel as if I’m taking advantage of you.”

Prompto hugs his legs tighter. Ignis  _ definitely _ found him out; Ignis is only into having fun, it seems. Why else would Ignis feel that he’s taking advantage? Prompto tries to write off his romantic feelings without having to actually  _ say _ the words out loud. He’s not sure if he can, not while Ignis is in the middle of rejecting him. “You aren’t, Iggy! I swear. nothing has to change, y’know? Like, if you wanna keep having fun… it’s not like I don’t  _ want _ it. I signed up for this.”

Ignis shoots him a look. “I don’t believe either of us signed up for all of  _ this.” _

The words come out sharper than Ignis probably intended, but they still wound all the same. Prompto feels his own eyes start to water, biting his lip to try to stop it from quivering. “I-I didn’t mean to make things complicated.” He blinks, a tear spilling down his cheek. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”

Ignis looks away again, swatting at his own cheek -- drying a tear? “I assure you, Prompto, you’ve done absolutely nothing wrong. The fault is entirely mine. I let us get carried away.”

Here Ignis is, taking responsibility for the fact that Prompto’s in love with him. Ignis blames  _ himself _ , like Prompto wasn’t completely out of line here. All of Prompto’s worst fears -- the polite rejection, the awkwardness after, never being the same again -- it’s all coming to fruition.

“How-- how can you say that, when I’m the one… I’m the one that made it worse, I--” Prompto cuts himself off, scared that if his voice wavers any more, he’ll burst into tears.

Ignis looks confused, looking over at Prompto. “How can you blame yourself for this?” Ignis asks incredulously. He reaches over, bare hand gently wiping Prompto’s tears, despite more tears falling. Prompto wonders if this is the last time Ignis will ever touch him, and his heart thuds. “I thought I could control all of this, but I… you cannot control how I feel. I don’t wish my feelings to come between us.”

If Prompto’s heart wasn’t broken already, that would be the sentence that did him in.  _ You cannot control how I feel. _ As if Prompto doesn’t already know that Ignis is way out of his league and  _ then _ some. He knows Ignis never means his truthful words to be hurtful, but it doesn’t mean they hurt any less.

“You’re right, I guess I can’t,” Prompto whispers, turning his head to look away from Ignis.

“I’m… so terribly sorry to do this to you -- to do this to your family. I will explain everything to them, I promise. None of the blame will go to you, obviously. I’ve… made a real mess of things, and I intend to fix them the best that I can,” Ignis promises, like he’s discussing some sort of business deal instead of what’s left of Prompto’s heart.

“N-no need,” Prompto sniffles. “It doesn’t matter.”

Prompto pictures it, Ignis telling his sister and his father that it’s all a lie, lie,  _ lie. _ Ignis telling Cor that his stupid son ended up falling stupidly in love with stupid Ignis, and Prompto can’t take it. He can’t take the embarrassment, the rejection, the  _ blame-- _

“Prompto, I fully intend to--”

“Don’t!” Prompto nearly gasps. “Please, don’t.”

The silence lasts half a beat too long. “I clearly shouldn’t stay here, then. I don’t wish to make matters worse.” Ignis’s voice is heavy with emotion, and Prompto doesn’t know what to say. “I’ll… I’ll make way for the hotel downtown?”

Prompto’s heart hammers. He wants to beg him to stay. ‘ _ Please, please, please, don’t go. Stay here with me. Hold me, kiss me. Tell me you’re joking. Please.’ _ Instead, Prompto’s silent; he’s already closed himself off. He  _ has _ to. “If that’s what you think is best.” 

“Do you… wish to leave for Insomnia tomorrow with me?” Ignis asks, his voice gentle but detached.  _ He feels guilty, _ Prompto tells himself.

“I shouldn’t,” Prompto lies, knowing damn well Ignis is his only ride back to work.

“I understand that I’ve made a mistake, but do allow me to drive you back to your home…?” Ignis begs. His voice starts to waver now. Shit, Prompto must sound particularly pathetic to make  _ Ignis _ cry like this.

“Ignis,  _ shit, _ dude,” Prompto starts to sob, before inhaling deeply. “ _ Please.” _ He doesn’t even know what he’s saying at this point, but the longer Ignis stays, the more pieces of his heart he’ll have to pick up off the floor. “You don’t gotta feel sorry for me like this.”

Ignis lets out a shaky breath. “It-- it isn’t like that, please understand. I’m so sorry, Prompto. I’ll gather my things, and I will be gone. I won’t bother you any longer.”

Prompto watches numbly as Ignis packs up his bag, not sure if there’s anything he can say or do at this point to change anything. Ignis will always feel guilty for Prompto catching feelings, and Prompto will always have his guard up around him. It just won’t be the same. Prompto knew this would happen, just… not so soon. He sits on his bed and lets it happen, watching Ignis hover over the doorknob as their eyes finally meet.

Prompto sees nothing but pity in Ignis’s eyes, and it makes him feel nauseous.

“Promise me you’ll call me if you… need anything?” Ignis asks softly. “I’ve no right to ask, I’m aware. I apologize. I truly don’t mean you any harm, Prompto, I do hope you know that.”

Prompto  _ does _ know that, and that’s the worst part of everything. Ignis has been nothing but kind and gentle through this, just as Prompto expected him to.

“Uh huh,” Prompto breathes out on an exhale.

“Farewell for now, I suppose.”

Prompto can’t reply. He’ll burst into tears, and he knows it.

Ignis shuts the door behind him, and just like that, Ignis is gone.

Prompto feels his legs slide off the bed, his body quickly following suit as his ass hits the ground with a dull thud. He stares at the wall, heart still thudding in his chest, the only sign that he’s even halfway functioning right now.

Prompto had no idea what a broken heart really felt like until now.

There’s a soft knock on the door, and Prompto can’t bring himself to answer. If Ignis is back for whatever reason, he’s not sure he can take it. He hears the door squeak open slightly, wincing until he hears Aranea’s voice.

“Hey, where’s your hubby going at this hour? He looked kinda sad--”

That’s about all Prompto can take for the evening. All of his withdrawn tears burst forth in one rather loud, ugly sob, and he’s hugging his knees desperately as his breaths come to him in gasps. Prompto starts to cry, harder than he’s ever cried before -- harder than this morning, harder than when he had to leave home for Insomnia, harder than when his pet chocobo died when he was a kid. He holds himself and just  _ sobs. _

“Oh, holy shit, kid,” Aranea exclaims.

Prompto can hear her heeled boots rushing over to the other side of the bed, but doesn’t register anything until he feels her arms wrap around him and tug him against her chest. She slides Prompto’s glasses off his nose so he doesn’t get them streaked with tears. Other than that, she just holds him, letting Prompto cry it out. There’s nothing else she can do; she’s been through this a thousand times, it feels like. Never like this, though.  _ Nothing _ like this.

Prompto feels kind of guilty that he’s getting snot all over his sister’s shirt, but he can’t bring himself to move. Aranea wouldn’t let him move regardless, as she’s holding his head against her chest. He feels like such an idiot.

“He’s gone,” Prompto sobs. “I can’t believe he’s gone.”

“What the hell’s going on in here?” Cor’s voice comes from his now-open door before Aranea can respond.

Prompto finds himself crying harder. The last thing he wants right now is to have to admit to his dad that he’s a shitty son and an even worse person for lying to him. He shouldn’t have let Ignis leave; he’s an idiot for thinking he could do this alone.

“He must’ve gotten into a fight with Ignis,” Aranea explains. “Ignis left, I guess. Where’d he go, Prom?”

Prompto sniffles. “The Leville.”

Prompto hears Cor’s footsteps until he’s standing in front of Aranea and Prompto on the floor, and he kneels so that they’re eye level. 

Cor sighs as he looks at the state of Prompto, reaching out to brush Prompto’s bangs out of his eyes. “What happened, kiddo? I’ll go talk to him. Just breathe,” Cor says.

“No! Don’t, please, leave him alone,” Prompto cries. “I messed up. I messed it all up, it’s my f-fault.” Prompto tries to take a deep breath and fails.

“Why don’t you explain what happened? Even if you messed up, Ignis doesn’t strike me as the kinda guy that would just leave the night before your wedding,” Aranea points out. “I mean, you guys obviously love each other--”

“No, it’s just-- just me,” Prompto manages, sniffling again. “It’s…” He sighs defeatedly. “You were right, okay? It was fake. It was all fake. I wanted to help Ignis get his visa so he could s-stay. I thought it’d be okay, and I fell for him. Ignis found out and he l-left and it’s all my fault.” He remembers to breathe. “I know I lied and I’m sorry. I’m the worst p-person in the world and I’m sorry--”

Cor sighs, and Prompto sees Aranea and Cor look at each other knowingly out of the corner of his eye, which makes him feel even crappier. It makes him feel like they  _ expected _ this.

“So, it’s fake, and you lied,” Cor says. Prompto winces, preparing to get yelled at as just icing on his crappy day cake. “This is what lying gets you, Prompto, don’t you see?”

Prompto frowns, avoiding his father’s gaze. “I-I know. I’m sorry, I know that I fucked up. I know.”

“But you fell for him, so that wasn’t a lie, was it?”

Prompto meets Cor’s gaze, fresh tears welling up in his eyes as he looks at his father in confusion. “So? It doesn’t matter. He’s gone. He doesn’t… he didn’t fall for me. Who would?”

“Look, kiddo, like I said, he doesn’t seem like the type of guy to find this out and leave, regardless,” Aranea says. 

Cor, on the other hand, tries a different approach. “How do you know that he doesn’t feel the same?” Cor asks.

Prompto frowns as he sniffles. “I think the fact that he’s not here’s a pretty big clue, Dad.” His voice breaks on the last word.

“Did he say that to you?” Cor presses.

“Why does it matter?” Prompto squeaks, the tears spilling onto his cheeks.

Cor reaches out to put a hand on Prompto’s shoulder as an attempt to calm Prompto down. “Yesterday, when you ran away from me when you were upset, do you know what Ignis said to me?”

“He talked you out of calling the cops on him, I guess. Why?”

Cor snorts. “No, specifically, do you know what he said?”

“N-no. He didn’t tell me.”

“He told me he’s never loved anyone the way that he loves you. And that he’d always be by your side, no matter what, until you sent him away.” Cor sighs. “So, Prompto, did you send him away?”

Prompto heart pounds as his lip quivers, thinking about what could have been. He feels like such an idiot for still getting his hopes up, even after basically confirming that Ignis was putting on a show for his family. “It wasn’t true, though. It wasn’t real.”

“I think it was, Prompto,” Cor says. “No one can lie that well. Trust me, I know. I didn’t call you out on your bullshit for a while because you weren’t lying about your feelings, not technically. Now, answer my question. Did you send Ignis away?”

Prompto thinks of the last conversation they had, how Ignis kept trying to apologize, and Prompto shut down, trying to protect himself. “No? I didn’t want him to go, but-- but I thought he wanted to leave, so I let him…”

Aranea lets out a snort. “Alright, blondie. Get off your ass, I’m going to take you to his hotel,” she says, words harsh but tone fond.

“Wha--?” Prompto asks, looking into her green eyes incredulously. “I-I can’t go there, man! It’s bad enough I’ll have to sit in a car with him almost all day tomorrow and work next to him and--”

“Nope. You’re not gonna wallow in self-pity without even  _ talking _ to the guy. I haven’t seen you this happy in  _ years. _ Well,” Aranea looks at his miserable self with a pitying look, “aside from right now. You know what I mean. Get your shit together, clean yourself up, I’ll be in the other room ‘til you’re ready. ‘Kay?”

Aranea ruffles his hair and slides his glasses back on his nose before she gets up to let him get ready.

“Wait. ‘Nea, wait--” Prompto calls out, but she’s already gone.

Cor chuckles softly. “You know your sister, she’s even more stubborn than you. Guess you better get ready.”

“I don’t wanna bother him,” Prompto whines. “I don’t think I can take another rejection. For reals.”

“Kid, I don’t think you’re going to get one. But if you do, we’ll be here. It’s going to be alright. I agree with Aranea, you need to at least  _ talk _ to Ignis. Neither of you seemed to do any of that,” Cor points out. “You okay?”

“Uh, I’m--” Prompto jumps when he hears his phone ring. Anxiety spikes through him when he realizes that it could be Ignis, and visibly relaxes when he sees Noct’s name on the caller ID. “It’s Noct, I should-- I should take this, Dad.” He looks at his father, frowning. “I. Um. You don’t hate me?”

Cor laughs, standing up to give Prompto space. “I don’t hate you, kiddo. Don’t lie to me anymore, okay? You can always tell me the truth. I love you.” Cor ruffles Prompto’s hair. “Tell Noctis I said hello. Been too long since I’ve seen that kid.” Cor smiles at Prompto before heading out of Prompto’s room.

Prompto sniffles, grateful his dad has taken pity on him. “I will. I love you, too.”

Prompto presses the accept button on the call from Noctis, wondering why he’s even calling. He wonders if Ignis said something to him. He wonders if Noct would call him an idiot, too -- if Noct would hate him for causing awkwardness between their friend group. It’s just another thing he’s fucked up, apparently.

“Noct?” Prompto manages weakly.

“Prom? What the hell happened with Specs? I’ve never heard that dude cry the  _ entire _ time I’ve known him,” Noct says worriedly.

Prompto’s eyes widen. Ignis was  _ crying? _

“What d’you mean?” Prompto asks, trying not to cry again, especially not in front of Noct -- though it certainly wouldn’t be the first time.

“He called me and asked me to check on you. Dude was in tears,” Noct explains. “I thought you said you guys were, like, cool…?”

“I, uh… we were,” Prompto stammers, trying to remember to breathe so he doesn’t burst into tears. “I… he figured out I liked him, I guess. Wasn’t into it so he left.”

There’s silence on the other end. “Um, that’s definitely not what I got from his side, dude,” Noct says. “Wait, did you tell him you loved him or whatever?”

“Well, not directly, but he figured it out.” Prompto sniffles.

“But you didn’t say it?”

“N-no.”

“Did he… say anything like that to you?” Noct asks.

“No. He didn’t have to. I got the message, dude.” Prompto sighs. “My sister wants me to go see him.”

“Yeah. You really should. Specs doesn’t cry, dude. Are you okay?”

“No,” Prompto admits. “I dunno if that’s a good idea. I feel like he wanted space.”

Noctis sighs. “I’m sorry this got complicated, Prom, but did he tell you he wanted space? ‘Cause he’s really worried about you, and I think space is the last thing he wants.”

“Of  _ course _ he’s worried about me,” Prompto groans sarcastically, leaning his head against the edge of his bed. “He couldn’t be a dick about not liking me back so I could move on faster! Of  _ course _ he couldn’t! I hate that he’s so sweet and I wish he would just fucking stab me instead.”

Noct starts to laugh despite the stress in his tone. “Don’t joke about that, dude. Just… call him and ask if he wants space. He wants to hear from you, like,  _ bad _ , dude. It’s not my place to say anything for him, but you should really talk to him.”

Prompto sniffles, blinking back the tears. Noct wouldn’t purposely lead him to a hurtful situation. Maybe things between Ignis don’t have to be awkward. Maybe they can go back to the way things were.

“What did Iggy say, exactly?” Prompto asks timidly, sad to even say his name.

“He just practically begged me to ask if you were okay. He said he didn’t wanna leave you, but he thought that’s what you wanted. He feels like shit, man.”

Prompto snorts humorlessly. “Him and me both, dude.” He sighs. “I-I  _ might _ have shut down a little when he said he should go. I didn’t want him to… but I didn’t know what to do. I freaked out.”

“Yeah, he told me that he’s never seen you act like that. Specs thought he ruined things for good. You scared the crap outta him,” Noct says with a soft laugh. “Look, I know you haven’t known him as long as me, but if you guys got close this weekend, I think you know things aren’t the way you think they are, at least not all the way. He’s, like, one of the best people I’ve ever met, and you are, too. You guys can work this out.”

Prompto sighs, starting to see Noct’s point the longer he spends without crying. “I… I dunno, maybe,” he allows.

Prompto hears shuffling in the background, and a muffled, “Ow!” from Noctis. Prompto raises an eyebrow until he hears Gladio’s laughter on the other end of the phone, some soft bickering before another, “Ow!  _ Dude _ !”

“Prompto?” Gladio’s voice sounds in his ear, clearer now. Apparently, Gladio won the phone wrestling match. “Sorry, wanted to talk to you and Noct was hoggin’ you all to himself.”

Prompto wants to laugh, happy for his friends that at least  _ they’ve _ managed to have a successful love life, but he can’t manage to. “Uh, hey. What’s up, big guy?”

“Wow, yeah, he sounds just as messed up as Specs did,” Gladio says to Noct, doing a particularly crappy job of covering the phone with his hand. It’s more amusing than anything else. “Hey, blondie. I got some advice for you, you can use it if you wanna, or keep mopin’, up to you.”

Prompto frowns. He’d probably be a little insulted, but he knows Gladio means well, and he’ll take any advice he can get, especially from someone who used to date Ignis. “Um, okay.”

“Specs might seem all perfect to you, but he’s a total idiot. He’s the most loyal person I’ve ever met, no matter what. He wouldn’t ditch you ‘cause of something like this. Only way to get him to leave is to tell him to, and… even then, he’s too stubborn to leave sometimes.”

Prompto crosses his arms with the phone tucked between his shoulder and his ear. “Are you sayin’ this is my fault, dude? ‘Cause--”

“Nah, I’m saying he’s an idiot who thinks he’s being self-sacrificial instead of actually having a conversation. He’s bailing ‘cuz he thinks that’s what you want. And if you wanna date Iggy… for  _ real _ , you gotta pull him outta his own head. Go get him, blondie. I’m tellin’ ya, it’s not what you think it is,” Gladio promises. “You got it?”

Prompto really hopes his friends aren’t just getting his hopes up. His heart starts to hammer with anxiety and anticipation, wondering if maybe they’re making a point here. Prompto can’t tell between rationality and irrationality at this point, and it frustrates him more than anything.

“Yeah,” Prompto says finally. “Yeah, I think I got it. But… what if Iggy really does wanna be alone?”

“He doesn’t,” Gladio laughs. “He’d tell you if he did. But he doesn’t.”

For some reason -- maybe it’s the confidence that Gladio carries -- Prompto believes Gladio. Maybe Ignis doesn’t like him in the way Prompto wants, but the more rational side of him wants to believe that Ignis wouldn’t just abandon him like this.

“Okay. Thanks, Gladio,” Prompto says, a little more relieved than before. “Why did you guys break up, anyway?” Prompto isn’t sure if he should ask that yet.

Gladio snorts. “I’ll let Specs explain most of it, but basically we were just too busy and I wasn’t good at breaking down his walls. No hard feelings and stuff, but we decided to stay friends.”

Prompto hears a soft whine of Noct in the background. “ _ Give me the phoooooone.” _

“‘Kay, gonna let you talk to his highness now,” Gladio teases sarcastically. “Catch you later, dude. Love ya.”

Prompto snorts. “Love you, too. Laterz.”

There’s some shuffling, and then Noct breathes into the phone. “Sorry ‘bout that,” Noct says. “You good?”

Prompto sighs. “Uh huh. I think-- I think I’m gonna try to talk to him. D’you think he’d be cool with me calling him?”

Prompto can hear the smile in Noct’s voice. “Definitely, Prom. I think he really wants that. Let me know how it goes, okay? Love you, man. Call me anytime, okay?”

Prompto smiles back. “Okay. I love you too, dude. Thanks for all this, Noct. I dunno what I’d do without you.”

Noct laughs. “Good thing you never gotta find out.”

Prompto’s smile widens. “Got that right. See ya.”

Prompto hangs up and scrolls his recent contacts, finding Ignis easily. He stares at the number for a solid twenty seconds before inhaling and pressing the call button nervously.

Ignis answers on the first ring. “Prompto?” 

His usually elegant, stoic accent sounds utterly wrecked, like he’d been gargling nails or something. Prompto wishes he was here so he could hold him and comfort him the way that he wants to. Even if Ignis doesn’t  _ love _ him, it doesn’t mean this hasn’t upset him, too. Especially if Gladio was right about why Ignis left.

“I-Iggy, I, um. I didn’t know if it was cool to call, uh…” Prompto says, voice wavering a little.

“Of course it is,” Ignis promises with a soft sigh. “It  _ always _ is. Are you alright?”

Prompto exhales. “Okay,” he breathes. “Okay. Can I… would it be okay if I came to you so we could talk? Um.”

Ignis inhales sharply. “I would like that very much.”

Prompto’s eyes start to water at how sincere he sounds. “What’s… what’s your room n-number?”

“Ah. Er. Room 212, I do believe.” Ignis hesitates for a moment. “I… it’s good to hear your voice.”

Prompto feels a tear overflow, spilling onto his cheek. It takes everything in him not to just say it.  _ I love you so much, Ignis. _ “Um. You too, dude. I’ll see you in a few.”

Ignis sighs again. “Farewell.”

Prompto heads to the bathroom, removing his glasses to dry his eyes and splash his face with water. Nothing will get rid of the puffy redness to his eyes, and the flush to his face from how hard he’s been crying. He nearly whines as he sees the hickeys on his neck, now a prominent red and purple. He wishes so badly that Ignis was here to give him more of them. Instead, Prompto’s alone, and he’s an absolute wreck. Prompto groans at how awful he looks. Prompto imagines Ignis looks perfect even after crying, and the thought makes him laugh bitterly.

“Okay, Prom,” he says to himself. “You can do this.”

Prompto shoves his phone in his pocket and heads out to find Aranea. 

“You good, shortcake?” Aranea asks. “Ready to go?”

“Y-yeah. Can I-- I can just go alone,” Prompto promises. “I’ll be okay, ‘Nea. I called him and I think we’re gonna talk, so…”

She raises an eyebrow. “You sure?”

“Uh huh. I’ll be back in a few. I’ll let you know if I need anything,” Prompto says with a sigh.

“Hey, kid. Don’t leave anything unsaid, okay?” she says. “Trust me, it’s not worth it.”

Prompto nods. “Thanks.”

The cool evening breeze that bustles through Lestallum at night is actually pretty welcoming to Prompto, except for blowing his hair into his eyes on occasion. His house is only a few minutes’ walk from the Leville, and it’s a relaxing enough of a walk to try to clear his head. He feels kind of like an idiot for not talking to Ignis sooner. Sure, they talked, but they never really  _ said _ anything meaningful. Prompto was just so scared of getting hurt that he hurt himself more than Ignis ever could. Stupid.

Butterflies flood Prompto’s stomach as he walks up the stairs of the hotel to find room 212. He stands outside the door for just a moment, squeezing his eyes shut, sighing heavily. He hovers a closed fist outside the door for a moment longer before knocking the saddest, most timid set of knocks into Ignis’s door. Pathetic. 

Prompto sniffles, looking at the ground when the door opens.

“Prompto,” Ignis’s voice sounds in his ears before he looks up. “Surely you didn’t walk all the way here wearing that? It’s far too chilly.”

Prompto hears shuffling before a weight is dropped on his shoulders, the warmth of Ignis’s jacket surrounding him. Prompto finally looks up, all his courage from earlier entirely dissipating as soon as the man he’s in love with is in view.

Ignis… well, of course, he’s beautiful -- but he’s still in today’s clothes, hair still a mess, eyes almost as red as Prompto’s. He’s definitely been crying; even his nose is tinged pink. Prompto was right, though; he’s as lovely as ever, perhaps even more so, despite the tears. Ignis looks at him with nothing but worry.

“I’m… I’m oka--” Prompto cuts himself off to let out a really embarrassing sob.

A look of horror crosses Ignis’s features before he steps forward, pulling Prompto into his arms. “Oh, Prompto, shh, it’s alright,” Ignis soothes. 

Ignis gently pulls Prompto in the doorway so he can shut the door, but Prompto barely registers this. All he does is melt against Ignis, clinging to the man for as long as he can before he leaves again, leaving Prompto all alone to pick up the pieces.

“No, no, it’s not,” Prompto sobs. “I’m so s-sorry, I thought I’d cried it all out.”

Ignis’s arms curl around him tighter, securing him to him. Prompto couldn’t leave Ignis’s embrace even if he wanted to. Thankfully, he very much does not want to.

“Never apologize for that,” Ignis promises, his voice low and wavering. “I’m here. I’m so sorry.”

Prompto inhales sharply as he claws Ignis’s shirt with his fingers, as if he could hold Ignis here forever. Ignis lets Prompto do whatever he wants, Ignis’s fingers curled tightly around him. “I came here to s-say we didn’t have to call this off. I could’ve kept my distance. It wouldn’t have been a problem. I kn-know--” Prompto stops to sniffle, “--it sucks to have to deal with me being in l-love with you and all that, but I didn’t want you to  _ leave, _ and I can handle just bein’ f-friends, because I love you no matter what--”

“What’s all this?” Ignis asks, his tone full of surprise. “What do you mean, in love with  _ me?” _

Prompto looks up from burying his face in Ignis’s chest to look up at Ignis. Ignis’s eyes have started watering again, and he looks completely shocked. Prompto’s tears are temporarily replaced with confusion. He sniffles. 

“You-- you left ‘cause you didn’t wanna upset me... ‘cause you didn’t feel the same, right…? It’s okay, Iggy, I can handle it. I know guys like you don’t like guys like me,” Prompto says softly, his voice still wavering. “Still hurts, but it’s okay.”

One of Ignis’s hands leaves Prompto’s back in favor of gripping his chin, keeping Prompto from looking away. Ignis laughs humorlessly, tears overflowing in his eyes. “ _ Prompto,” _ Ignis breathes out shakily, “I thought you knew.”

Prompto frowns, a dozen insecurities flooding through him all at once. “I mean, I always figured you didn’t feel the same, don’t worry, but… but we blurred some lines and… I guess I let the fantasy get to me.”

Ignis’s thumb travels upward to wipe away Prompto’s tears, no longer wearing gloves. Prompto closes his eyes. Despite the new rejection Prompto’s likely about to get, Ignis’s touch feels so good, fingers warm and comforting. Prompto’s going to enjoy it for as long as he can.

“Prompto, you have it the other way around, darling.  _ I’m _ in love with  _ you.” _

Prompto’s eyes flutter open in surprise as Ignis holds his face. “Wait,  _ what?” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh these fooles...


	12. Chapter 12

Prompto can’t get Ignis’s words out of his head.  _ I’m in love with you. _ He feels like he’s in some sort of dream, looking into Ignis’s eyes with a gentle kind of confusion. He thinks about the last conversation they had, how Ignis slowly started to withdraw, how Ignis said he was taking  _ advantage _ of Prompto…

Prompto feels like the biggest idiot in all of Eos, basically.

“I thought it glaringly obvious,” Ignis murmurs with a soft but incredulous smile in Prompto’s direction. “I’m quite taken with you, Prompto. I touch you at every opportunity I get. I practically devoured you before supper this evening, I could hardly control myself. I took you somewhere for the sole purpose of having sex with you.” He laughs bitterly. “I’ve been an utter mess for you, love, and I’m honestly rather astounded that you seem to haven’t noticed a bloody thing.”

Prompto blinks, his eyes widening. Flush starts to heat up his cheeks. Was he really so lost in his own insecurity that he didn’t notice Ignis making all these moves on him on  _ purpose? _

“Well, uh… when you put it like that…” Prompto says nervously. “I thought you were just lonely, dude! There’s no way you could’ve… for  _ me? _ Iggy,  _ why?” _

Ignis sighs fondly, smiling gently as he looks down into Prompto’s eyes. “It would take me all bloody night to tell you why I love you so dearly. You’ve shined brighter than the sun for me, can’t you see this? You came into my life suddenly due to all these ridiculous circumstances and I can’t find myself remembering what my life was like  _ without  _ you constantly at my side. You’re gentle, yet exciting, caring... loving...  _ passionate _ , amusing, intelligent more than you realize… you’ve so much love to give, yet I find myself selfishly craving all of it for myself.”

Prompto wants the ground to swallow him whole. He hadn’t really expected Ignis to  _ answer _ him, especially not like this. “Iggy…” Prompto whines. “I… holy shit, I’m such an idiot, I… I thought I was the only one, just… crushing on you like a hopeless idiot. How’d you not  _ know?” _

“To be fair, love, you’re quite affectionate around most people,” Ignis says sheepishly. “How was I to know I was any different?”

Prompto shakes his head. “Oh, man, Iggy, of  _ course _ you’re different… you’re… I think you’re it for me, dude.”

With that, Prompto tugs on Ignis’s shirt to bring his lips down to meet his own, kissing him greedily. Ignis makes a gentle noise of surprise before returning the kiss with equal enthusiasm, curling his arms around Prompto tightly enough to be able to lift Prompto into his arms. Prompto giggles against Ignis’s mouth, hands looping around Ignis’s neck tightly to hold on as they kiss. When they pull apart, Ignis keeps him in his arms, looking up at him with fervor.

“My, how foolish we’ve been,” Ignis murmurs up at him. “While I was unpacking here, I found that ridiculous chocobo trinket you bought me the other day in my bag, and I practically burst into tears.” Ignis’s expression is sheepish.

“Shit. At least you still have it.” Prompto laughs, tearing up for a different reason now. “I thought I lost you.”

Ignis carries Prompto over to the bed, sitting down on it gently so that Prompto can choose to leave his arms. Prompto decides to stay perched on his lap instead, looking down at Ignis like he’d disappear if he were to look away.

“You’d never lose me,” Ignis promises. “I would have begged your forgiveness had you not called me when you did.”

Prompto laughs breathlessly, trying not to get too emotional. “Nothin’ to forgive, babe. I was so scared, I should’ve just said something, but…”

“You thought I didn’t love you,” Ignis supplies. “And here I was, thinking you didn’t love me.”

Prompto sniffles, nodding. “If only we actually  _ talked _ to each other instead of jumping to conclusions.  _ Maybe  _ we gotta work on that.”

Ignis smiles, reaching up to tuck a lock of Prompto’s hair behind his ear. Prompto leans into the touch so much that Ignis starts gently stroking his hair. “Perhaps a little.”

Prompto closes his eyes for a soft moment as Ignis’s gentle touch to his hair eases the tension from him. Prompto lets himself sigh happily, groaning a little at how good Ignis’s fingers feel in his hair. “ _ Especially _ if we want this whole marriage to work out, right, Iggy?” Prompto teases, opening his eyes again.

Ignis looks up at him with soft surprise. “You… still… would want that, after everything I put you through…?”

Prompto narrows his eyes. “I did it to  _ myself. _ Of course I do. You have no idea how much it fucked me up when you told me we shouldn’t. And  _ don’t _ say sorry for that. Prompto Apology Window is  _ closed _ for business ‘cause you didn’t do anything wrong.”

A flash of hurt appears in Ignis’s eyes before he can reign it in. He seems to struggle with Prompto’s request, before blurting, “I’m sorr--”

Prompto cuts him off with a kiss, gentler this time but no less passionate. When he pulls away teasingly, he smiles at Ignis. “All unnecessary apologies will be cut off with a kiss. You have been warned,” he says in a faux serious tone.

Ignis chuckles, pulling Prompto higher onto his lap. “Now, that doesn’t give me much incentive to stop apologizing, if I am rewarded with a kiss…”

Prompto wrinkles his nose, pretending to be frustrated and completely failing. “Okay, fair point. How about I kiss you now instead?”

One of Ignis’s hands slide up Prompto’s back, securing him further against him as he laughs up at Prompto. “That’s a reasonable compromise…”

Ignis gently pulls Prompto’s head lower so their mouths can meet. Prompto hums appreciatively, letting his tongue brush into Ignis’s mouth so he can taste Ignis again. It feels so much better now that he knows Ignis will stay, that Ignis wants him back just as much.

“I love you,” Prompto murmurs against Ignis’s lips. “I love you so much, Iggy.”

Ignis places another kiss against Prompto’s mouth. “And I love you, dearly,” Ignis promises.

Prompto grins, so happy to hear those words genuinely from Ignis. Prompto reaches up to push some stray locks of hair away from Ignis’s forehead. Ignis’s words remind him of something. “Did you tell my Dad that you loved me when you were alone with him this morning?”

Ignis raises an eyebrow, light pink flushing his cheeks. “Ah. He told you about that, did he?”

“Uh huh. He was trying to convince me that I was full of shit about you not liking me,” Prompto laughs. “Guess I shoulda believed him.”

“I’ve meant it every time I’ve told you I loved you,” Ignis admits, looking into Prompto’s eyes.

Prompto feels his eyes water with emotion, and he  _ swears _ he isn’t going to start crying again. “Me, too,” he promises. “Today, I accidentally… said it to you… and I meant it. I got so scared.”

Ignis tilts his head understandingly. “Is that why you looked so upset?” He smiles. “Oh, darling.”

Prompto feels his cheeks flush with warmth. “Yeah, and then… you got upset, and I thought it was my fault…” Prompto says with a sigh.

Ignis frowns. “I felt so guilty your father called me family. I should have simply told him the truth, but I knew my feelings for you weren’t exactly going to vanish. I was an utter mess. I constantly waited for your reassurance, your touch. I knew the moment you looked so worried that I couldn’t mislead you any longer,” Ignis says with a sigh. “I suppose your family is rightfully quite unhappy with me.”

Prompto snorts. “Actually, uh, no. They were in your court the whole time, dude. Told me I wasn’t seein’ stuff right, that you didn’t seem like the type who would leave.”

Ignis smiles, visibly relaxing. “It’s… so wonderful to hear that. It’s true, you know. There’s nothing I wanted less than to leave you, especially when you looked so upset.”

Prompto tightens his grip on Ignis. “I didn’t want you to go. It was so bad. Then Noct and Gladio had to call me and tell me the same stuff my family did.”

You spoke with Gladio?” His tone is surprised.

Prompto laughs. “Well, he kinda stole the phone from Noct. But, yeah. He gave me some advice for you. Well, kind of?”

“Oh?” Ignis raises an eyebrow.

“He called you an idiot,” Prompto says, giggling a little.

Ignis barks out a laugh. “I haven’t any doubts about that. I’m afraid he’s correct on that one.”

“No, Iggy! You’re perfect,” Prompto promises, kissing Ignis’s forehead. “He did tell me to come and talk to your ass, so I guess we owe him one.”

“Mmm. I suppose we do. Did Noctis have any additional colorful ways to describe me…?” Ignis teases.

Prompto snorts. “Nah, he was really worried about you, actually.”

Ignis looks sheepish, sliding his glasses up his nose self-consciously for a moment. “I might have been a wee bit of a mess when I called him. I was terrified for you, love. I practically begged him to speak with you,” Ignis remembers with a soft laugh. “I should have called you instead.”

“I-I was so scared to call you. I thought you’d tell me to fuck off,” Prompto admits sheepishly. “Did you… did Noct know that you loved me?”

Ignis sighs. “Not until recently. When I called him tonight, I came clean about it, as it were. I simply couldn’t keep it to myself any longer. Gladio’s heard about it for far longer, I’m afraid.”

Prompto laughs, full of relief that he wasn’t the only one pining like crazy. “Guess that explains why he called you an idiot and told me to go talk to you. You should’ve just told me, dude. I would’ve loved to hear that all weekend, if I’m honest. Gods, I’m so gone for you.”

Ignis leans in to kiss Prompto’s forehead. “Perhaps I should have, as I felt the same.” He sighs before pointedly looking at Prompto. “And just when were  _ you _ going to reveal your feelings, my love?” He asks teasingly.

Prompto feels his cheeks heat up, laughing nervously. “Uhhhhh, I honestly was gonna wait ‘til we got back to Insomnia, ‘cause I didn’t wanna trap you here against your will.” He stops to laugh some more. “Then I was expecting you to politely say ‘thanks but no thanks’ and kick me out to my own place. I was surviving on the hope that you’d still be cool with being friends.”

“Oh, is that all? Is this what you’ve been worried about the entire time?” Ignis asks, eyebrows raised. 

Prompto nods sheepishly.

“On the contrary, I would have asked you to move in, love.”

Prompto’s heart hammers. He knows by now that Ignis wouldn’t dangle this in front of him if it was off the table, but Prompto can’t help but overthink. “You… you would have?”

Ignis leans in, kissing Prompto’s forehead again, until his lips travel to his cheeks and mouth to pepper kisses all over his face. Prompto bursts into a fit of laughter but lets Ignis continue, cherishing this gentler side to Ignis that he never thought existed.

“Be kinder to yourself, my love,” Ignis whispers, placing a few more kisses to Prompto’s mouth. “Would you care to move in with me, or at least discuss it? It isn’t a decision you have to make right this very--”

“Yes! Please, Iggy? I almost  _ died _ tonight ‘cause I thought I had to sleep without you,” Prompto jokes. “Okay, I’m kidding, but… y’know…”

“Well, I would certainly hate for you to perish,” Ignis teases. “When we arrive back, we shall discuss it further, how does that sound?”

Prompto wants to tell Ignis that he has nothing to discuss-- he’s already made up his mind. He knows that discussing it is important to Ignis, though, so he bites his tongue. “Perfect, Iggy.” He sighs. “How long… did you know? About your feelings, I mean?”

Ignis laughs. “I suppose I realized something was happening when I woke up that first morning in my flat with you curled up against me. It shouldn’t have felt so wonderful to me to be in your arms.”

Prompto’s eyes widen. “Holy shit, this  _ whole _ time?! Gods, and I thought I’d traumatized you when I did that.”

Ignis smiles. “Your reaction certainly was adorable. I didn't have the heart to tell you that I enjoyed every moment of it. I hated having to wake you.”

Prompto groans. “I was so embarrassed. Guess I felt that way back then too, otherwise I wouldn’t have done that.”

“Is that so?” Ignis asks, pressing his forehead to Prompto’s.

“Okay, maybe a  _ little _ earlier ‘cause I nearly lost my shit that morning at the office when you kissed my cheek. The ‘ _ darling’? _ I nearly dropped your coffee. I guess I’ve always had the hots for you, but I didn’t… didn’t think you were into dating.”

Ignis laughs. “I was terrified you wouldn’t go along with it. Rather foolish of me, considering how sweet you are.” He sighs wistfully. “I hadn’t considered myself having time for relationships before we spent all this time together. I suppose you’ve brought that out in me. I haven’t wanted a relationship with someone so badly in my whole life than I have this weekend, with you.”

“Iggy…” Prompto whines, leaning in to peck Ignis on the lips. “Wait, so when you… offered to… y’know, get me off… that wasn’t platonic, was it?”

Ignis smirks sheepishly. “I’d intended it as such, but decidedly not. I was awfully curious to see what it would be like to touch you. You certainly didn’t disappoint. You were utterly  _ magnificent _ .”

Prompto laughs shyly, avoiding his gaze for a moment when he remembers all the noises he made for Ignis. He gasps, realizing something at the last minute the more he thinks about it. “You jerked off in the shower thinking of me for  _ reals _ , didn’t you?” He asks.

“Well, obviously. The bloody noises you made nearly made me ruin my sweatpants. Did you think I was lying about that?”

Prompto shrugs. “Thought maybe it was… like, sexy talk, I guess. We’re even, though, ‘cause you  _ did _ make me ruin my jeans.”

Ignis laughs. “I suppose I did, though placing the  _ entirety  _ of the blame upon me seems a bit unfair, given your role during that particular activity.”

“Yeah, but you moaned my name and I just  _ lost _ it, dude,” Prompto counters. “So… more blame on you.”

“I see. So,  _ that _ was what caused such a mess, hmm? I’ll keep that in mind…” Ignis teases, pressing a soft kiss to Prompto’s mouth.

“Oh, yeah? You gonna turn me into a mess again, Iggy?” Prompto whispers against his lips, hand resting on his chest.

“Mmm, perhaps. Though given that we’re alone, we could forgo the clothing altogether...” Ignis suggests, fingers tugging at the hem of Prompto’s shirt. “Avoid the mess entirely, hmm?”

Prompto’s never really shown himself shirtless to Ignis, a little self-conscious of the stretch marks on his skin from his youth. The attention Ignis gives him, however, goes right to his arousal, his lust for the man favoring out over insecurity.

Prompto leans into Ignis’s touch with a soft groan. “Maybe you could show me what you were thinkin’ about in the shower yesterday morning…”

“Ah, but you’ve already showered,” Ignis points out as his lips hover over Prompto’s teasingly. “We’ll be up to all  _ sorts _ of no good in there.”

Prompto closes the distance between their mouths for a moment before leaning in to kiss Ignis’s neck teasingly. “You say that like it’s a bad thing,” Prompto teases.

Ignis exhales shakily as Prompto delivers more wet kisses to the flesh of his neck. Prompto will never get over how warm Ignis is as he feels the other man melt into his touch. Prompto slowly starts to push him backwards onto the bed further, climbing higher onto his lap. He feels Ignis’s cock brush against his own through their pants, both of them starting to become aroused, and Prompto lets out a gentle whimper at the sensation.

“ _ Prompto _ ,” Ignis nearly gasps. “You are far too tempting for your own good.”

Prompto giggles against Ignis’s neck. “Want me to stop?”

Ignis wraps both of his arms around Prompto’s waist, securing Prompto to him. “Don’t you bloody dare,” Ignis whispers into his ear.

With that, Prompto feels Ignis’s grip on him tightens as Ignis lifts him off the bed. Prompto lets out a yelp of surprise as he feels Ignis’s arm slide under his legs so he’s draped across Ignis’s arms. Prompto has no idea where Ignis is taking him, but he’s not about to protest.

Prompto scrambles to hold onto Ignis, laughing the entire way. “Jeez, warn a guy, Iggy!” he giggles.

Ignis laughs in return, pressing a kiss to his temple. “And not gain the privilege of hearing that adorable laugh of yours? Hardly.”

Prompto feels himself flush again as he locks his arms tighter around Ignis. He goes back to kissing Ignis, starting with the warmth of his cheekbone as his mouth travels lower -- as low as he can get in Ignis’s arms as he carries him -- until he’s peppering kisses along Ignis’s neck again.

“Keep talking like that and you can have whatever you want, baby,” Prompto whispers in Ignis’s ear.

Prompto can hear Ignis’s breathing catch for just a moment -- the benefits of having his face so close to Ignis’s -- and the sound goes right to Prompto’s dick. He loves throwing the man off-guard, absolutely wearing down his control until Ignis is just as much of a mess as Prompto is.

Prompto gets so caught up in his desire for the man carrying him he doesn’t realize that Ignis has carried him to the bathroom until Ignis sets him on the sink countertop. Prompto keeps his arms locked around Ignis’s neck as he stares up at him with longing. 

Ignis finally answers him by pressing his lips to Prompto’s, the need in the kiss growing from last time. Prompto moans as he feels Ignis’s tongue dart into his mouth and he melts, gripping Ignis tightly. 

They part enough for Ignis to speak, but only slightly. “And if I want to undress you?” Ignis purrs against Prompto’s mouth.

Prompto  _ whimpers. _ “Please, Iggy… I’m all yours.”

Ignis smirks, reaching over to turn the shower on so the water can heat up. He presses a kiss to Prompto’s forehead as he slowly removes Prompto’s glasses along with his own and sets them on the sink counter next to Prompto. “And I yours, love.”

Prompto shivers when he feels Ignis’s fingers tease just under the hem of his t-shirt, and he lifts his arms up obediently to allow Ignis to slide his shirt up off his head. The cool air hits him, shivering again for an entirely different reason, but the steam now coming from the shower helps. 

The warmth of Ignis’s hands helps the most, as he feels Ignis run his hands along his stomach and up his chest, brushing along one of his nipples. Prompto gasps at the sensation, causing Ignis to start massaging at the sensitive flesh there for a moment. Prompto loves the touch, every flick of Ignis’s thumb causing pleasure to radiate outward through his whole body, including his cock, which is now completely pitching a tent in his pants.

“You’re exquisite,” Ignis promises. “Absolutely breathtaking.”

Prompto has no idea if Ignis can even notice Prompto’s stretch marks from the angle that he’s sitting in, but he can’t help but flush at the compliment. Ignis always seems to notice  _ so _ much, it’s difficult not to take his compliments to heart, especially when his pupils are absolutely blown as he drinks Prompto in with his gaze. Prompto’s never really felt desired -- he’s only really  _ hoped _ to be -- until he spent time with Ignis.

“Iggy,” Prompto whispers, sliding off of the sink so that Ignis can finish undressing him. “I should be saying that to  _ you.  _ You’re so perfect, babe, I want you so bad... _ ” _

Ignis smiles, his fingers teasing the hem of his sweatpants. “You have me, love. Allow me to finish undressing you, and I’ll give you everything you want.”

Prompto’s cock throbs so hard in his pants at Ignis’s words he’s surprised he doesn’t come. It’s even worse when Ignis slides Prompto’s pants and boxers down his legs so agonizingly slowly, the cloth dragging over his cock causes him to hiss in pleasure.

“Gods, y’know, I’m really  _ not _ a patient guy,” Prompto whines, though half of it really comes out as a moan.

“Oh, I’m fully aware,” Ignis teases, his voice dropping low, “and you have no idea how hard that makes me.”

Prompto laughs, a little breathless as he’s caught off-guard. “Holy shit, Ignis,” he groans. “I wanna see you, baby.”

Prompto stands up on the balls of his feet to kiss Ignis, a little more tongue involved than before as he unbuttons Ignis’s fancy dress shirt, abandoning it on the floor. He explores Ignis’s bare stomach with his hands -- something he’s never gotten to do before -- and moans against Ignis’s mouth when he feels the prominent abdominal muscles there. He slides his hands up and realizes his chest is just as muscled as the rest of him. Ignis lets out a soft moan of his own at the touch, shuddering a little at the attention Prompto gives him.

“Shit, you really do work out,” Prompto marvels yet again. “I’ve never seen you naked before. You’re so damn sexy.”

“Mmm,” Ignis murmurs, “as are you, my love.”

Prompto could honestly explore Ignis’s body with his hands all night long, but he really  _ is _ the most impatient guy on Eos. He’s quick to slide his hands down to Ignis’s belt buckle, quickly relieving Ignis of his pants and boxers, sliding them down his legs readily. Ignis’s cock is already hard from their teasing, and Prompto’s grateful to know he’s not the only one affected by it, but Gods, all Prompto can think about is taking the man’s cock in his mouth again.

Before Prompto can do anything, Ignis wraps his arms around Prompto, pulling him flush against him. Prompto moans as their cocks touch, shivering at the sensation of their arousals pressed against each other. Ignis lets out a hum of pleasure himself, arms sliding down Prompto’s sides to settle on his hips. Ignis presses their mouths together, biting Prompto’s bottom lip before kissing him desperately, their tongues brushing against each other. Prompto desperately presses his cock harder against Ignis’s as they kiss, and Ignis gasps against his mouth.

“Shower with me, love?” Ignis whispers against his lips.

“Mhm,” Prompto agrees as Ignis grips his wrist and they step into the shower together.

The warm spray of the water hits both of them unexpectedly. Prompto underestimates where the stream would hit, as it ends up hitting him right in the face. He giggles, shaking his wet hair away from his eyes and Ignis laughs with him, reaching up to adjust the shower head.

“Apologies, though you do look even more delectable than before, if possible,” Ignis teases as he presses their bodies together once more.

Prompto snorts. “Oh, I’m sure,” he says sarcastically as he laughs, flipping his wet hair away from his eyes again.

The water has dampened Ignis’s hair, and what’s left of his styling gel has washed away, causing his bangs to fall forward entirely onto his forehead. The man looks so beautiful like this with his hair down, water dripping off of his long eyelashes, Prompto has to take a moment just to stare. If only Prompto’s camera was with him.

Prompto reaches up to brush some of the wet hair out and away from Ignis’s eyes, and an idea comes to him. 

“Iggy, can I wash your hair?” 

“That sounds wonderful… though, I thought you were impatient…?” he teases.

“Shampoo first,” Prompto decides, “then you can fuck me hard against this shower wall. Coolsies?”

Ignis’s breathing labors, the softest of moans escaping his lips. “A-as you wish, darling.”

Prompto grins, loving how much of Ignis’s control has slipped already. He loves catching the man off-guard like this.

Prompto reaches up to make sure Ignis’s hair is fully wet, running his fingers along all the dampened strands of Ignis’s hair.

“Shall I get lower for you?” Ignis teases.

Prompto frowns. “I’m not  _ that _ short.” He looks up at Ignis, and sighs. “Okay, yeah, do it.”

Ignis laughs, lowering his head to place a quick kiss to Prompto’s mouth before sliding down to his knees. Prompto’s dick suddenly remembers itself as a rush of heat floods through Prompto at the sight of Ignis on his knees in front of him. 

Ignis looks up at him teasingly. “Does this work for you…?” he purrs, knowing just how seductive he sounds -- the little shit.

Prompto tries to snap out of his lecherous thoughts. “Uh… huh,” he manages, though sounding a bit less cheeky than before.

Prompto starts to lather up Ignis’s hair with water, continuing from before, when he feels Ignis’s mouth on his stomach, peppering kisses along his body. He lingers on where his old stretch marks are, and Prompto feels Ignis tongue gently tease the flesh there.

Ignis is kissing his stretch marks. Prompto didn’t even have to tell him he was insecure about them.

Prompto stops for a moment, letting out a tiny whimper as he grips Ignis’s hair tightly for a moment. “I-Iggy,” he groans.

Prompto can feel Ignis smile against his stomach, but he doesn’t answer. Instead, he simply continues, kissing all along Prompto’s stomach. He feels Ignis’s lips press gently where his freckles gather the most, too. Prompto giggles as the softness of his lips start to tickle.

Once Ignis’s hair is fully wet, Prompto reaches for the shampoo and starts to lather it in his hands. Prompto nearly drops the shampoo bottle when he feels Ignis stop his teasing kisses in favor of gripping the base of Prompto’s hard cock. It takes every effort not to roll his hips forward into Ignis’s grip.

“Shit… baby,  _ please,” _ Prompto moans, and at this point he doesn’t even know what he’s pleading for.

Ignis answers his plea by running his tongue along the length of Prompto’s cock. Prompto gasps, burying his soap-lathered hands in Ignis’s hair. He tries to keep the shampoo away from Ignis eyes as he feels Ignis take the head of Prompto’s cock in his mouth and sucks hard on his arousal.

“Oh,  _ fuck,” _ Prompto moans, pushing his hips forward so Ignis can take more of his cock into his mouth.

Ignis hums against Prompto’s dick, and Prompto swears he sees stars. He forgets about washing Ignis’s hair for a moment in favor of fucking the wet heat of Ignis’s mouth at a gentle pace. Ignis moans at the sensation, his hands sliding up to hold Prompto’s hips as his tongue darts out to lap at his cock further.

“Ngh, baby, yes, don’t  _ stop--” _ Prompto moans. “Cl-close your eyes, Iggy.”

There’s a smirk in Ignis’s eyes as he obliges, closing his eyes so Prompto can continue washing Ignis’s hair. Ignis clearly has no intention of stopping his mouth on Prompto’s cock, bobbing his head at a gentle pace as Prompto lathers up Ignis’s hair with shampoo. Whenever Ignis sucks particularly roughly, Prompto stops to tug on Ignis’s hair, gasping as his hips jerk forward into Ignis’s mouth.

“Yeah, just like that,” Prompto moans. “Your mouth feels so f-fucking good.”

Ignis rewards the praise with a faster pace, moving his mouth up and down Prompto’s cock. Prompto can’t even choke back a whine as the pressure of Ignis’s tongue swirling around his length causes his cock to throb harder, pleasure shooting up his dick as he feels his cock leak precum into Ignis’s mouth. He  _ feels  _ Ignis moan more than he  _ hears  _ it, the vibrations sending a wave of pleasure up Prompto’s cock.

Prompto shakily tries to brush the shampoo away from Ignis’s forehead despite Ignis’s eyes still being closed at his request. He’d hate for his desire to get off to be ruined by getting soap in Ignis’s eyes. He almost laughs at the thought. The urge to laugh disappears when he looks down, seeing his own cock push past Ignis’s pretty pink lips. The other man looks so beautiful, water dripping off his eyelashes as his eyes close, completely lost in the moment as he sucks Prompto’s cock roughly.

As Prompto’s distracted, he feels Ignis reach around Prompto’s waist to start teasing his entrance with his finger. Prompto gasps, choking off into a moan as soon as he feels Ignis take the entire length of Prompto into his mouth, deepthroating Prompto’s cock as Ignis pushes a finger inside Prompto’s ass, bending his finger inside Prompto teasingly.

“ _ Holy _ fuck!” Prompto moans, gripping Ignis’s hair tightly. “Baby, fuck,  _ please--” _

Prompto can’t even continue to speak as Ignis starts to finger him, picking up the pace after hearing Prompto’s excitement. Prompto loses himself, jaw practically dropping in pleasure as he grips Ignis’s hair tightly, gently fucking Ignis’s throat. He whines as Ignis sticks another finger inside of him, stretching him easily after their play from this afternoon. White-hot pleasure shoots through him, and he doesn’t want to be done with Ignis just yet.

“Shit, Iggy,  _ stop, _ I’m gonna come so fast, please--” Prompto begs, though the way he spreads his legs further negates his words.

Still, Ignis removes his fingers, pulling his mouth off of Prompto’s cock gently. Prompto lets out a shaky breath, squeezing his eyes shut as he tries to recover from his near-orgasm. As much as his dick  _ absolutely _ wants to come right now, he doesn’t want to tip himself over the edge until Ignis fucks him nice and  _ hard _ .

Prompto opens his eyes after a moment, looking down at Ignis fervently. He watches Ignis press soft kisses to Prompto’s thighs, delivering another gentle kiss to Prompto’s cock before looking up at Prompto to meet his eyes. Prompto shivers at the sensation despite the heat of the shower.

“Apologies, love,” Ignis says with a soft chuckle. “I can’t keep my bloody hands off of you.”

“Sh-shit,” Prompto whispers. “Don’t apologize, that felt so fucking good.”

“Mmm, I didn’t want to stop…”

Prompto shivers at the desire in Ignis’s tone. “J-just gimme a sec, baby. Be careful, soap’s not all gone. Eyes shut again, Igster.”

Ignis smiles, closing his eyes as he tilts his head back for Prompto to rinse the shampoo from his hair. Ignis looks so beautiful and vulnerable like this, it’s a little hard for Prompto not to stare. Prompto pushes Ignis’s wet hair out of his eyes. Even his lips are redder from sucking Prompto’s cock, and it makes him even more beautiful. Prompto thinks about coming all over that gorgeous face and he lets out a shaky breath.

“‘Mkay, you’re done,” Prompto declares. “Now get up here before I keep you down there.”

Ignis laughs gently, getting up from off his knees to stand up for Prompto. Prompto pulls Ignis’s head down for another kiss, making sure to taste himself in Ignis’s mouth. He shudders as their tongues touch. As they kiss, Prompto slides his hand down Ignis’s body to wrap a hand around Ignis’s cock, earning a moan from Ignis this time.

“Prompto,” Ignis whines into Prompto’s mouth. “ _ Please.” _

Prompto teasingly starts stroking Ignis’s cock. He can’t tell if his cock is red with neglect or from the heat of the shower spray, but either way, it’s absolutely beautiful and rock-hard in his grip. Prompto starts pumping Ignis’s cock harder until he’s rewarded with Ignis fucking himself further into Prompto’s fist. 

“Please, what, baby?” Prompto asks, his own cock throbbing for attention now that it’s  _ really _ been neglected an orgasm. “You wanna fuck me?”

Ignis moans feverishly. He doesn’t answer with words; instead, he grips Prompto’s hips roughly, spinning him around so that Prompto’s back is to Ignis. The motion catches Prompto off-guard; he groans, loving the way he’s being manhandled.

“I’m going to absolutely  _ ruin _ you, darling,” Ignis purrs against Prompto’s ear.

Prompto whines, bending over for Ignis, placing both of his hands against the shower wall, showing off his ass for Ignis. Ignis’s cock presses against the cleft of Prompto’s ass, the head of his cock teasing Prompto’s entrance. Prompto’s cock twitches in anticipation, aching to feel that fullness that only Ignis can give him.

“Please, baby, give it to me,” Prompto moans, pushing himself backwards to tease Ignis’s cock against him more. “I need you,  _ please.” _

Ignis groans at Prompto’s plead, and he can’t seem to hold back any longer; he pushes his cock inside Prompto quickly, the force of the thrust pushing Prompto further against the shower wall. Prompto takes his cock without complaint, his fingernails digging gently into the tile, his own cock throbbing at the feeling of being filled like this. Prompto moans, pushing himself back onto Ignis’s cock. Ignis’s hands grip Prompto’s hips tightly as he groans breathlessly once his cock is fully enveloped inside Prompto’s tightness.

“Ah,  _ fuck,” _ Prompto cries out once Ignis has bottomed out inside of him.

“Mmm, that’s it, darling,” Ignis praises, “you take me so well, do you know that? You’ve no idea how utterly beautiful you look right now.”

Prompto moans in response as Ignis starts to move his hips, moaning along with Prompto as he pulls his cock almost entirely out of Prompto only to snap his hips forward and thrust it back into him. 

Prompto whines at the intrusion, arching his back as Ignis’s cock stretches him. The swift movement of Ignis’s thrust sends his cock pressing right against Prompto’s prostate. Prompto cries out as his cock twitches at the sensation, starting to leak precum onto the shower floor. Prompto loves feeling Ignis’s cock fill his tightness completely, failing to resist the urge to shudder.

“Holy fuck, baby, yeah, fuck me harder,” Prompto begs him. “Keep going,  _ just _ like that, wanna feel you harder...”

Ignis obliges, thrusting his cock into Prompto as he finds a particularly fast pace, both of them chasing their own orgasms, gasping into the tiny shower like they’re getting paid to. Ignis circles his arms around Prompto’s front with one hand so he can take a free hand and slide it up Prompto’s spine, tracing the arch in Prompto’s back as he fucks into Prompto. Prompto shudders at the gentle touch combined with Ignis’s rough thrusts, feeling every inch of Ignis’s cock slide in and out of him.

“You like this, taking it roughly for me, sweetheart?” Ignis asks, an unusual term of endearment from the man’s lips.

Apparently, Prompto likes the pet name, as he finds himself throwing his head back, moaning breathlessly at the praise. “Uh huh, I like it, Iggy,  _ ngh-- _ ”

“Mmm,  _ Prompto,” _ Ignis moans, fucking into Prompto so hard, Prompto wonders if the neighbors can’t hear it. “You’re absolutely filthy for me, aren’t you?”

“Yeah, baby, all for you. That feel good, Ignis?” Prompto asks as he pushes his ass back to take more of Ignis’s cock on every thrust. Prompto starts to tremble, the pressure this position puts onto his prostate driving him wild, even his damn knees start to weaken. 

“You’ve no idea how good you feel,” Ignis promises. He leans in to kiss along Prompto’s back and shoulder blades. “You’re magnificent, love.”

Prompto lets the praise go right to his dick, which is now throbbing consistently. Ignis thrusts particularly roughly into him and Prompto’s arms buckle, causing his face to press against the shower tile. He could practically start drooling against the wall at how good Ignis is giving it to him, and he thanks all six of the Astrals that Ignis’s gym routine allows a pace this brutal without even stopping once. 

Ignis chuckles at Prompto. “You alright, darling?”

Prompto laughs breathlessly, turning quickly into a moan when Ignis continues a rough thrust. “Yeah, shit, _ ” _ Prompto whimpers as he looks over his shoulder at Ignis, “ _ Iggy,  _ fuck, I love you baby.”

Ignis leans in over Prompto’s back, taking advantage of Prompto’s gaze by pressing his lips to Prompto’s as Ignis fucks him. Prompto whines, letting his tongue brush against Ignis’s as the force of Ignis’s thrusts cause their kiss to get a little messy. 

Ignis smiles against Prompto’s mouth, pulling apart slightly so he can breathe. “And I love you, Prompto.”

Prompto smiles back, his lips parting on a particularly rough thrust, gasping. Ignis’s hand slides up to wrap around Prompto’s throat, squeezing gently as they continue to fuck.

Prompto moans, loving having his throat held while he’s getting fucked, and he’s so grateful Ignis remembered. He pushes his neck further into Ignis’s grasp, holding onto Ignis’s wrist to keep him there, arching his back slightly to push his ass further onto Ignis’s dick.

“Iggy,” Prompto whimpers, unable to find proper words. He lets his eyes fall closed as Ignis’s brutal pace pushes him further against the shower wall. “I’m--  _ ah--” _

“Mmm, that’s it, darling, you look so beautiful like this,” Ignis moans. “You’re absolutely perfect.”

Prompto’s too busy groaning at the praise, he doesn’t notice Ignis reached around Prompto’s waist with his free hand until he feels Ignis grip Prompto’s cock tightly. Prompto moans as Ignis starts to stroke Prompto’s cock roughly, causing Prompto to shudder against him. With the pace that Ignis thrusts into him, he knows he’s not going to last much longer. He doesn’t even care; judging by how erratic Ignis’s thrusts are, Iggy isn’t far behind him. 

Ignis moves his other hand off of Prompto’s throat in favor of gripping Prompto’s hip tighter, and Prompto can’t even complain as it feels so damn good to be held this tightly. He’ll have finger-shaped bruises on his hips later, and the thought of that alone has him near orgasm. Prompto reaches back slightly to keep Ignis’s hand tight on his hips, their fingers slotting together as Prompto lets himself get thoroughly fucked and jerked off by Ignis.

Ignis moans at Prompto’s needy touch. He leans in, voice at Prompto’s ear. “You feel so wonderful, Prompto.”

Prompto lets out another undignified moan as Ignis strokes his cock faster, in time with Ignis’s thrusts, squeezing just underneath the head of Prompto’s cock. “Keep going, b-baby, holy shit, oh my  _ Gods, _ ” Prompto gasps more incoherent phrases, leaning against the shower wall, body completely pliant for Ignis to take advantage of. The pressure Ignis gives on his cock as well as the brutal pace of Ignis’s thrusting into him, he feels an orgasm start to build deep inside of him, completely at Ignis’s mercy.

“Yes, darling, let your body feel it, give in to it,” Ignis purrs into Prompto’s ear, his breathing labored from the force of his thrusts. “I want to see that angelic face of yours when you come.”

Prompto thinks he means metaphorically, as Prompto’s back is to him. However, when Ignis moves his hand off of Prompto’s cock and pulls his own cock out of Prompto suddenly, he can’t think straight. Prompto whines at the loss; his cock -- and prostate -- ache with neglect, literally leaving him throbbing for more.

“Iggy, c’mon,  _ please,” _ Prompto whines as he looks over his shoulder at Ignis, desperate to have Ignis fuck him to completion. He was  _ so _ close.

“Shh, now, darling, it’s alright,” Ignis murmurs reassuringly, leaning over Prompto’s back to kiss him again briefly, a smirk on his face when he peels his lips away.

Before Prompto can ask why Ignis is looking at him like that, he feels Ignis turn him around roughly to face him, hands sliding under Prompto’s ass to lift him up against him. Prompto groans as this causes their cocks to brush together, until he realizes what Ignis wants him to do. Prompto locks his legs around Ignis’s waist, spreading his legs as much as he can so that Ignis can continue their play.

Prompto arches his back with a soft cry as Ignis pushes his cock back in Prompto, fucking him while holding him in his arms. 

“Mmm, good boy,” Ignis purrs, thrusting his cock up into him roughly, almost like it’s a reward.

Prompto feels himself melt in Ignis’s arms, as Ignis’s cock hits his prostate roughly, the praise hits him head-on. “O-oh, fuck,  _ Iggy _ , that’s so hot, I’m--” 

White-hot pleasure shoots through Prompto as he feels his cock start to orgasm, apparently not used to being staved off so suddenly. As soon as Ignis thrusts hard against his prostate  _ again _ , Prompto comes  _ hard _ , whining against Ignis desperately. He grips Ignis’s neck tightly as feels his cum splatter against both of their stomachs, Ignis’s praise and fast pace causing him to come completely untouched. Prompto shudders in Ignis’s arms through his orgasm, arching his back as he takes Ignis’s cock into him as cum continues to seep out of his own dick, toes curling as they’re wrapped around Ignis’s waist. 

“ _ Darling,” _ Ignis gasps, still thrusting into Prompto, “Astrals, you’re going to make me come--”

“Ngh, baby,” Prompto gasps, digging his fingers into the back of Ignis’s neck. “Come in me, Iggy.”

Ignis doesn’t even have to answer with words. He grips Prompto tightly and thrusts into him a few more times before Ignis moans sharply, hips stuttering as he comes. Prompto feels the warmth of Ignis’s cum flood inside him, and Prompto gasps at the sensation. He rolls his hips against Ignis’s, letting Ignis hold him as he fucks his orgasm into Prompto.

“Mmm,” Prompto whimpers, “Iggy…”

Ignis responds with a final thrust, loosening his grip on Prompto as his cock slides out of him. Prompto gasps softly at the sensation as he slides down Ignis’s body, feet finally touching the ground as he presses himself against Ignis. Ignis curls his arms around Prompto, kissing him desperately.

They both pull away for a moment to catch their breaths, when Ignis smirks at him. “Coming  _ untouched? _ My, what a treat you’ve given me,” Ignis teases, stroking Prompto’s cheek tenderly.

“ _ Dude _ . You. Lifted me. While  _ fucking _ me. Couldn’t fucking help it. I’m a weak man, what can I say?” Prompto says sheepishly. “Gods, when I say hard, you really give it to me. I think you’re sent from the Astrals to torture me with perfect sex.”

Ignis laughs at this, a carefree sound, clearly riding a post-coital high. “I would hardly call that torture,” Ignis points out. “It was my…  _ pleasure.” _

Prompto giggles at the pun. “Quite the  _ ride.” _

“Ah, a man of my own tastes. You are without a  _ doubt _ the love of my life.” Ignis grins.

Prompto knows he meant it jokingly, but his heart leaps at the sentiment. “You know I try, Iggy.” He laughs.

“It appears we need to take advantage of the water before it runs entirely cold,” Ignis says. “I believe we’re pushing our luck with the hot water.”

Prompto leans up and pecks Ignis on the lips. “Heck yeah, dude! Gimme the soap. I ain’t takin’ cold showers. Though after all that… I might have to from now on.”

Ignis chuckles. “Or perhaps I could simply join you again.”

Prompto sighs wistfully. “I’m definitely gonna take you up on that.”

Ignis hands him his fancy body wash. Prompto almost laughs at the fact that Ignis already managed to unpack toiletries in the hotel room and he’d only been here a few hours. Prompto loves using Ignis’s soaps and shampoos, especially now; he loves smelling like Ignis, on top of the fact that he smells so damn good. Prompto’s totally not biased about that. Not at all.

What started out as a rushed attempt to get clean before the shower runs out of hot water, turns into a struggle to see who can get the most body wash on the other. Prompto’s never taken a shower with anyone in his life, but he feels so blissful right now, especially when Ignis takes him in his arms and lathers him with soap, delivering gentle kisses to his forehead. Prompto washes the rest of Ignis too, taking advantage of the opportunity to run his eager hands along every surface of Ignis’s soft skin.

“You’re so beautiful, Igster,” Prompto whispers once they stop laughing with each other.

Ignis smiles, brushing a bit of Prompto’s hair away from his face. “You’re the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen.”

Prompto flushes, ducking his head to laugh. “You make compliments sound so much better than me, it’s not fair,” he whines.

“Nonsense,” Ignis says. “You’ve no idea how utterly perfect I find you.”

“Aw, Iggy,” Prompto groans. “Gonna give me a heart attack. Remind me to buy a waterproof camera so I can document how sexy you look all wet like this.”

Ignis laughs. “Perhaps I’ll gift you one as a wedding present...?”

Before Prompto can reply, the last of the lukewarm water starts to fade, the stream above them turning cold. Prompto yelps, trying desperately to rinse the rest of the soap off of each other so that they can end the cold shower.

Finally, when they rinse, Ignis reaches for the faucet and turns off the torturously cold stream of water. It doesn’t bring much relief; Prompto’s already starting to shiver.

“I’m afraid we pushed our luck,” Ignis says teasingly, reaching for towels to wrap themselves in.

“Y-yeah, holy shit, it’s a little c-cold,” Prompto says as he desperately attempts to dry off.

Ignis smiles, opening his towel so that Prompto can walk into his arms. Prompto happily obliges, desperate to find some sort of warmth. Prompto sighs wistfully when the warmth of Ignis’s body envelops him as Ignis wraps his towel around the both of them.

Ignis’s voice sounds right at Prompto’s ear. “We’ll simply have to keep each other warm then, hmm?”

Prompto turns his head to press a kiss to Ignis’s cheek. “Uh huh. Take me to bed, Iggy.”

Prompto slides his arms around his neck, and Ignis chuckles as he obliges. He lifts Prompto up against him, both of their towels wrapped around each other as he carries Prompto to the bed. He sets Prompto down on the edge of it, pressing a kiss to Prompto’s lips before he walks around to pull back the covers of the bed. Without Ignis’s body heat even for the short moments it takes, Prompto starts to shiver again, goosebumps rising on his flesh.

Ignis walks back over to Prompto, gently tugging at the towel despite Prompto’s whining.

“It will be warmer without it, love, it’s wet. Climb into bed, and I will join you in but a moment,” Ignis says.

Prompto definitely obliges, desperately needing about fifty blankets right now. Prompto’s heart has no business being as excited as it is to cuddle with Ignis without any uncertainty -- and without any clothes. Apparently, no matter how hot their sex is together, Prompto’s still excited about cuddling. He laughs as he bundles up under the blankets.

Ignis emerges from the bathroom, and Prompto can’t help but ogle the man as he’s still naked. The muscles of his chest, stomach, and hell, even those long  _ legs _ of his have Prompto practically drooling into his pillow as Ignis walks over to the bed.

“Enjoying the view?” Ignis teases, noticing Prompto’s pretty obvious preoccupation. 

“Duh, Iggy. Don’t judge,” Prompto says with a laugh.

Ignis climbs into bed next to Prompto. “No judgement at all, love. I quite like it when you look at me.”

Prompto can’t help but immediately bury himself against Ignis, tangling their legs together as he throws his arm around Ignis’s stomach. He rests his head on Ignis’s chest, and Ignis’s arms secure him in place. Prompto sighs wistfully. “I’m glad you like it, ‘cause I kinda can’t stop staring at you all the time, babe.”

“I can certainly relate,” Ignis says as he presses a kiss to the top of Prompto’s head.

Prompto sighs. “Never thought I’d get to cuddle naked with you.” He snorts.

Prompto can’t see his face right now, but he can hear the smile in Ignis’s voice. “It’s quite wonderful, isn’t it?”

“Mmm, yeah. Wish we could just stay here all day tomorrow. But instead we gotta get  _ married. _ Well, fake married? I dunno what to call it.”

“We don’t have to, you know. We can simply sign the license back in Insomnia, and call the ceremony off,” Ignis suggests. “Either way, we have each other, if tomorrow will be too much for you.”

“Oh, shit. I should probably tell everyone that’s still happening,” Prompto realizes. “But my phone’s so far away, and you’re  _ so _ warm…”

Ignis chuckles. He moves for a moment, reaching his arm out across the bed. Prompto’s confused for a moment until his phone is placed in front of him.

“Aww, Iggy, thanks. You’re the perfect… fiancé? Husband? What even are we?” Prompto asks with a laugh. “We’re, like, the weirdest pair ever.”

Ignis makes a considering noise. “Well, what would you like us to be?”

“Together,” Prompto says quickly. “That’s all I got.”

“Well, I hoped that would be rather obvious,” Ignis teases. “You may use whatever label you prefer.”

“I mean, since we’re gonna be husbands… is it too much pressure to just call you that? Keep it simple, for now at least?” Prompto asks. 

Prompto moves his head off Ignis’s chest temporarily to test his expression. Ignis grows soft, his eyes light. “That’s perfect for me, love. You are aware… you’re not…  _ stuck _ with me, I do hope you know that? I’d very much like to pursue a relationship with you, but it certainly does not have to stay marital after my citizenship is legalized, if marriage is too much for you. We can divorce in due time without any trouble and continue as we are in a more traditional manner. Either way, I’ll be with you to stay until you send me away.”

Prompto can’t help but smile at the sincerity and affection in Ignis’s words. “I mean, it’s all just a legal label, right? It just means the government sees us as a couple. We can still be together, and we’ll just… happen to be married.” He laughs. “We don’t gotta put pressure on it. Just keep going at our own pace.”

“Precisely,” Ignis says gently, smiling back as he presses a kiss to Prompto’s hair. “I never want any pressure on you ever, darling. I wish you to be comfortable with me, always.”

“I am comfy, Iggy,” Prompto promises. “I think you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

Ignis’s arms tighten around Prompto for a moment, holding him closer. “I could not agree more, Prompto.”

“But, like, what do you think? Do  _ you  _ wanna, like, get divorced after everything’s cool with your citizenship? I don’t want you to feel pressure either. Obvs, I wanna date you and all that. If that’s what you want.” Prompto laughs nervously. “But you definitely don’t gotta stay married to me, either.”

“Well, we can certainly see how it plays out, and play it by ear. At the moment, I haven’t any urge to end our marriage unless if you do. There’s no pressure at all, love. The moment we realize it’s far too quick… then we can.”

“I guess we’re on the same page then, huh?” Prompto says. “I never thought my first awesome relationship would start with us getting married the day after we said we loved each other for the first time.”

Ignis laughs. “I can certainly relate to that.”

Prompto sighs. “I’m still down to get married, y’know, with the dorky ceremony tomorrow and everything, if you are. It could be cute, like, a party celebrating our relationship.”

Ignis smiles, sliding his arm up to stroke Prompto’s face. “It certainly would be appropriate, wouldn’t it?”

Prompto leans into the gentle touch Ignis gives him. “How d’you feel about it, Iggy? You’ve got just as much of a say, y’know.”

“I haven’t a problem with it at all. In fact, I think it would be rather adorable,” Ignis promises. “I’ve always felt as if I had a say with you, Prompto. You needn’t worry about that.”

Prompto smiles, satisfied with this answer. He plops his head back down onto Ignis’s chest. “I’m glad, babe.” He sighs. “Now to call off the Prompto Fire Brigade.”

Ignis chuckles at this. “Now that you mention it, I should perhaps do some damage control as well.”

Ignis moves his arm away from Prompto for a moment to reach for his phone. Prompto looks at his own phone and finds the first text message from Aranea.

** _Aranea (9:43PM): _ ** _ okay squirt it’s been like two hours so tell me what’s going down asap or i’m gonna call you endlessly ‘til you pick up _

Prompto laughs. “Well, my sister’s threatening death by phone, so I’d say we’re off to a good start.”

Ignis hums distractedly. “Our dear Noctis has proceeded to call me an idiot, so I can indeed relate.”

Prompto laughs as he types up a reply to Aranea.

** _Prompto (9:56PM): _ ** _ um… everything’s cool and stuff. If dad wants me to call him, lemme know, but im guessing he’s asleep? we’re still cool with the wedding tomorrow _

** _Aranea (9:57PM): _ ** _ Dad’s passed out, but he told me to call if anything happened. I’ll let him know in the morning. I’m real happy for you, blondie. I love ya. _

Prompto can’t help but smile.

** _Prompto (9:58PM): _ ** _ thanks, nea. I love you too!! :) _

Prompto sighs. “Damage control for my sister is taken care of. Looks like we’re still good for the party tomorrow, too.”

Ignis reaches over to stroke Prompto’s hair, not looking up from his phone. “That’s absolutely wonderful news.”

Prompto sighs. “Now to tackle Noct…”

Ignis can hardly hold back the snort. “Good luck.”

Prompto opens his long list of texts from Noct, all ranging in emotions.

**_Noct (7:49PM):_** _i love u prom. im always here for u. keep me updated tho u dick_

** _Noct (8:22PM): _ ** _ wow u suck man. I am not afraid to call u in the middle of whatever ur doin. If its not suckin specs dick then ur not valid _

** _Noct (8:52PM): _ ** _ prooooooooom just tell me oooone woooord u literally suck. Well probs literally _

** _Noct (9:36PM): _ ** _ gladio and i cant get a hold of u or specs so im guessing ur like… fucking so i’m totally out _

Prompto laughs out loud. “Oh, my Gods. He’s so impatient.”

Ignis pulls Prompto back into his arms. “Oh, darling, you’ve no idea.”

Prompto grins as he types out his responses.

** _Prompto (10:02PM): _ ** _ okay well technically he was sucking mine so first of all you’re wrong _

** _Prompto (10:02PM): _ ** _ second of all i do suck and i totally should’ve updated you i just got so distracted _

** _Prompto (10:03PM): _ ** _ everything’s okay tho. thank you for keeping me grounded. idk what id do without you buddy. I love you and i owe you like 50 hours of gaming and cuddles when i get back _

As a matter of good faith, Prompto turns his front-facing camera on as he looks over at Ignis. “I need proof of our reconciliation.”

Ignis chuckles. “But of course.”

Prompto holds his phone above them, making sure the blankets cover most of themselves other than their chests and faces. Prompto loves how he looks in Ignis’s arms. Ignis gives the sweetest smile ever, eyes nearly closing; Prompto will never get over how much he loves it when Ignis smiles like that. Prompto takes the picture.

“Perfect. Thank you, baby,” Prompto murmurs, leaning up to peck Ignis on the lips.

“The pleasure is all mine, love.”

** _Prompto (10:05PM): _ ** [picture attached]  _ here’s your proof your majesty _

The reply he gets is nearly instantaneous. 

** _Noctis (10:06PM): _ ** _ awwww u guys are naked and everyth aren’t u? lmao fuck dude i’m so glad i knew u guys were just idiots _

Prompto laughs. “I got called an idiot too, babe.”

Ignis laughs along with him. “We shall wear the title with pride.”

Prompto still can’t stop laughing as he responds.

** _Prompto (10:07PM): _ ** _ heeeey i covered everything up ;) thanks again buddy. I gotta get some sleep tho. got our lil ceremony and then we gotta drive all the way back to the city fml D:  _

** _Noctis (10:08PM):_ ** _ road trip it dude. take a bunch of pics for me. also like perfect time for road head just sayin ;) we’ll all go road trippin soon. Ill steal my dads regalia lmao night prom _

** _Prompto (10:09PM):_ ** _ well shit dude now that you’ve given me the idea…. ;) lmao night priiiince nooooctiiiis _

** _Noctis (10:10PM): _ ** _ i swear to gods if u guys keep calling me that ill kill u _

** _Prompto (10:11PM):_ ** _ lmao loooove you buddy!! _

Prompto puts his phone on the charger, returning to the warm embrace of Ignis’s arms. Now that they’re a little less wet, it’s not as uncomfortable to be away from him, but Prompto still loves the warmth that he brings.

“Noct  _ really _ hates when we call him Prince and Highness. My life was just threatened, Iggy,” Prompto teases.

“Well, well, we mustn’t endanger your life. We’ll call him by that title only while you’re under my protection,” Ignis teases right back.

Prompto snorts. “My hero.”

“I do try, love. Shall we try to get some sleep, now?”

He sighs. “Probs. As long as you hold me all night.”

“Mmm,” Ignis hums, pulling Prompto’s chin upward for a goodnight kiss. “I’ve no plans of letting you go, darling. I love you.”

Prompto holds onto Ignis tighter. “I love you too.”

Prompto drifts easily in Ignis’s arms, the stress of the night -- and the fun of it -- wearing him out entirely despite his nervousness for what will happen tomorrow. Prompto’s not felt so whole in such a long time.


	13. Chapter 13

Prompto registers the annoying chirp of Ignis’s alarm in the morning. He groans, shifting a bit to bury himself further in Ignis’s arms that are still wrapped around him, albeit shifted in the night. Prompto hears Ignis hum tiredly before his fingers move upward to start stroking Prompto’s hair. Prompto lets out a soft sigh at the touch, ready to drift back to sleep.

“Wake up, my love,” Ignis’s voice murmurs in his ear. “We’re to get married today.”

Those words wake Prompto up enough. He stretches in Ignis’s arms gently before letting his eyes open. “Man, you wore me out last night.”

Ignis chuckles. “I’d apologize, but I’ve vowed to never lie to you.”

Prompto snorts, rolling over on top of Ignis. He meets Ignis’s eyes for the first time since last night, and smirks. “Wish we could have some fun right now…”

Ignis wraps his arms tighter around Prompto to pull him up close enough to kiss his lips, smiling against his mouth. “Mmm, quite tempting, but I’m afraid we’re already pushing our luck.”

Prompto sighs sadly, leaving a few kisses to Ignis’s chest. “True. Shit, I hope I didn’t lose my pj’s or I’m gonna be strolling around Lestallum naked.”

Fingers continue to stroke Prompto’s hair. “I’ve folded them in the bathroom, love. They’re there along with your glasses.”

Of  _ course _ Ignis did.

Prompto looks up at him, pushing himself off of Ignis’s chest. “You ready for this?” he asks warily.

Ignis kisses his forehead. “Beyond any doubt.”

Prompto closes his eyes at the soft touch before rolling off of Ignis finally to start their day. Butterflies flood through his stomach as he pulls his clothes back on that he wore last night. Even if this wedding isn’t  _ traditional _ by any means, the fact that they’ve confessed their feelings for each other last night makes it seem realer for some reason.

Prompto pulls from his thoughts when he sees Ignis dressed next to him, brushing his teeth. He giggles, not used to getting ready directly next to Ignis in the bathroom.

Prompto sighs. “Wish I would’ve brought my toothbrush.”

Ignis reaches for his toiletry bag and pulls a brand new toothbrush out, still in the packaging, and hands it to Prompto wordlessly. Prompto takes it, opening the packaging incredulously.

Prompto laughs as he shakes his head. “Jeez, Iggy. Always ready for everything.”

As Ignis rinses his mouth, he smiles. “One can never be too prepared.”

Prompto loves him so much, it’s a little sad. It’s a good thing they’re getting married. Prompto snorts to himself.

As soon as Ignis collects his things, they head out of the Leville in order to make it back to Cor’s house with plenty of time to get ready for the wedding. Ignis woke them up at the crack of dawn at any rate, but Prompto still feels nervous as he waits for Ignis to check out of the hotel.

Ignis, of course, notices Prompto being slightly jumpier than usual. “Cold feet?” Ignis teases. “Do remember that this only has to be permanent for a short while. Everything is in your control.”

Prompto laughs nervously, reaching next to him to grab Ignis’s hand. “It’s not that. I mean, I  _ am _ nervous, but it’s about dumb stuff. Like… what if I don’t have enough time to get ready? Or… what if I spill something on my tux before we get to the ‘ _ I do’  _ part? Or, like, what if I trip and fall down the aisle?! Oh, Gods.”

Ignis chuckles, squeezing Prompto’s hand reassuringly. “I was thinking since we’re rather untraditional, I could accompany you down the aisle, if that may ease your insecurities.”

Prompto’s heart leaps at the thought. It’d eliminate so much anxiety if Ignis was there with him through the whole thing. “W-we can do that?”

Ignis looks at him fondly as they walk down one of Lestallum’s sidestreets. “Of course, love. We may do anything we wish. It is  _ our _ wedding, after all.”

Prompto snorts. “I guess that’s true. Let’s do that, then. I like you at my side.”

Ignis brings Prompto’s hand up to his lips to place a gentle kiss there. “As do I, darling. You’re certain that’s all you’re nervous about?”

“Well, no,” Prompto admits sheepishly. “Tons of stuff, but… I’m cool with the serious parts. Which is weird, I guess.”

“Well, call me a romantic, but I think that’s a rather wonderful sign.”

Prompto peeks at Ignis out of the corner of his eye, and Prompto’s floored that Ignis is still wearing that fond, soft expression. He’s smiling slightly, concentrating on foot traffic, seemingly unbothered by anything. The morning light causes his hair to shine, and his green eyes practically glow with the rising sun. Prompto pulls out the camera on his phone, itching to take a picture of him.

“It probably helps that I have the world’s  _ handsomest  _ husband at my side,” Prompto teases.

Ignis catches him looking then, just in time for Prompto to snap a few pictures of him with his phone. Ignis starts laughing, using his free hand to hide his smile behind his palm. It only makes him look more beautiful.

“Oh, hush now,” Ignis says, his cheeks turning a lovely shade of pink.

“Gods, I wish I brought my real camera with me last night,” Prompto gushes as he takes a few more photos of Ignis’s blush.

“All this talk of beautiful, and I don’t see you turning that camera on yourself,” Ignis says, tugging Prompto’s wrist to coax him against his side further. “Shall we take a photo together, before all the fun starts?”

Prompto smiles, flushing a little. Ignis has never really outright suggested a selfie before, especially with no one else around to see them. He holds the camera out in front of them, and they take a few; one with just smiles, one where Ignis kisses Prompto’s temple and causes Prompto’s glasses to go askew, and the other of Prompto kissing Ignis’s cheek. Prompto can’t even choose a favorite this time.

As they reach Prompto’s house, Ignis puts a hand over Prompto’s wrist to stop him from opening the door. Prompto looks at him confusedly, as Ignis has a guilty expression etched into his perfect features.

“Prompto, if I were to surprise you with something, would you be upset with me?” Ignis asks hesitantly.

Prompto raises an eyebrow. “Uh… surprise me with what, now?”

Before Ignis can respond, Prompto’s front door opens. Instead of seeing Cor or Aranea -- or maybe even Cindy -- the person who Prompto’s looking at is probably the  _ last _ person he’s expecting to see.

Noctis grins. “Hey, Prom.”

Gladio stands next to him, wrapping an arm around Noct’s waist. “Hey, you two. Got clothes on now, I see,” he says with a laugh.

“Holy shit!” Prompto yelps. He rushes forward to squeeze the life out of his best friend. Noctis hugs him back, ruffling Prompto’s already messy bedhead. “How’d you-- why the hell are you guys here?”

Ignis clears his throat. “The aforementioned surprise to which I was referring…”

Prompto looks over at Ignis, finally releasing Noctis from his suffocating hug. “You knew they were coming?”

“Yes, well, I thought it’d perhaps be a nice wedding gift to allow Noctis to marry us,” Ignis explains. “You aren’t upset with me for keeping it from you, are you?”

Prompto laughs. “No, not at all! Holy shit. You can  _ officiate _ weddings? I thought that was only for, like, priests. Or royalty.”

Noctis grins. “Maybe I was royalty in another life.”

Prompto rolls his eyes, but can’t help but smile. “This is awesome. Thanks, Iggy. This is a great idea.”

Prompto stands on the balls of his feet to press a kiss to Ignis’s lips, smiling against Ignis’s mouth happily.

Prompto hears someone clear their throat from the other side of the room. “I take it you two are okay, now?” Cor asks.

Prompto peels his lips off of Ignis, wheeling around to find his father standing against the wall with his arms crossed, a slightly amused expression on his face.

“Shit, Dad, sorry, I didn’t see you,” Prompto says. “Yeah, we’re… we’re more than okay.”

Ignis wraps an arm around Prompto’s waist. “Sir, if you’d allow me to explain--” Ignis begins, tone apologetic.

Cor waves him off. “You don’t have to do that. I think I’ve got a pretty good idea of what happened. As long as you guys are okay, then that’s all that matters to me.”

“Yeah. We’re okay,” Prompto says with a sigh, looking over at Ignis to meet his smile.

Before Ignis can respond, Aranea enters from the garage with Cindy in tow. Cindy has a bit of grease smudged on her nose. It’s a good look for her. Prompto feels happy to see that they’re both here for the wedding too.

“Ah, you guys are here. Cindy brought doughnuts,” Aranea calls, looking over and laughing at the state of her girlfriend, covered in oil and grease.

“S’not all I brought. Yer car’s parked outside the overlook, fresh battery and everythin’,” Cindy announces. “Figured y’all would want it towed there, since y’all are havin’ yer ceremony round there.”

Prompto feels Ignis visibly relax in his arms. “You have all of my thanks, Cindy. How much is fair to compensate you…?” Ignis asks. Prompto laughs to himself. He knows whatever number Cindy will give, Ignis will give twice that amount at  _ least. _

Cindy snorts, an adorable sound, her curls bouncing a little as she scoffs. “Naw, y’all are practically family now. You don’t gotta worry ‘bout it.”

Ignis eyebrows shoot up so high it’s almost comical. “I appreciate that, Cindy, but I can’t possibly allow you to pay for all of those expenses. I’m afraid I insist.”

Prompto laughs. “You might as well just let him, ‘cause he won’t let it go ‘til you let him pay,” he points out.

Noctis laughs with Prompto. “Yep. He’s right.”

Cindy huffs. “Oh, alright, but ya gotta at  _ least _ lemme give ya a discount.”

“I’ll consider it,” Ignis attempts, the lie apparent in his voice. Ignis looks down at Prompto. “While I confer with Cindy, get something to eat, won’t you? I’ll be but a moment.”

Prompto nods numbly. He’s a little too nervous to eat anything, even something as tempting as doughnuts. His stomach floods with butterflies. “I think I should just start to get ready. I don’t think I can eat right now.”

“You alright, Prom?” Noctis asks, clapping him on the back. “Nervous?” He grins.

As happy as Prompto is to be able to help Ignis and have Noct officiate their wedding, he definitely  _ is _ nervous. “Totally, dude. I’m gonna sweat all over my fancy tux and look like an idiot.”

Noctis rolls his eyes. “C’mon, you’re gonna be fine, and you’re gonna look amazing. Come show me what your tux looks like. Specs wouldn’t shut the hell up about how ‘ _ breathtaking’ _ you looked.”

Prompto can’t stop the heat rising on his cheeks even if he tried. “He’s biased.”

Gladio shoots them a fond look. “You guys want me to join, or should I help Specs get ready?”

Noctis nods. “Uh, you wanna help Specs? I got Prom.”

Gladio grins. “See ya in a sec, babe.”

Noctis flushes, ducking his head to try to hide it. “Bye.”

It’s Prompto’s turn to raise an eyebrow as he takes Noctis into his old bedroom. “ _ Babe _ , huh? So, you guys are a thing, right? Like, officially?”

Noct ducks his head. “Yeah. It like, just… officially happened on the way here, so I was gonna tell you, I swear. He’s… great.”

Prompto grins, knocking their shoulders together. “Huh. Cuuuuute, buddy! Never thought I’d see you two together, but now that I have… it makes sense,” he says.

“Look who’s talkin’,” Noctis says with a laugh. “Never thought I’d see you with Specs, but you’ve got him eating out of the palm of your hand.”

Prompto snorts. “ _ Pretty _ sure it’s the other way around, dude.”

Noctis smirks. “Yeah, you haven’t read Specs’ texts to me, though.”

Prompto’s eyes widen. “Care to… uh, I dunno, share with the class?”

Noct’s smirk turns into a grin. “In your dreams, dude. No way. I’m sworn to secrecy.”

Prompto blows his bangs out from his eyes. “Since  _ when?” _

“Hey!” Noct whines before tackling Prompto into what starts Tickle Fight of the Year.

After the Tickle Fight yields no victor, Prompto proceeds to yell, “Truce!”

Noct narrows his eyes before removing his hands from Prompto’s sides. “Fine, but I totally won that.”

“You did not, man. I didn’t yield.”

“Yeah, but your face is as red as hell. I was clearly superior, dude,” Noct disagrees.

Prompto starts to laugh. “Fine, your  _ highness. _ I’m really glad you’re here, Noct.”

Noctis snorts. “Me, too. What kind of bestie would I be if I missed your wedding?” he teases.

“Good point. Oh, man. I’m gonna go put this monkey suit on me,” Prompto says with a sigh. “Wish me luck.”

Noctis salutes him. “Good luck. I’ll be playing King’s Knight.”

Prompto rolls his eyes. “My hero.”

Prompto realizes as soon as he gets into his bathroom that he seriously needs to take care of his bedhead. With a sigh, he dunks his head in the sink to wet his hair, completely starting over. If there’s anything Prompto knows how to do, it’s turning his hair from disaster using only a little water, styling gel, and a blow dryer.

Once he’s satisfied with that, Prompto douses his eyelashes with mascara after putting his contacts in, wanting people to actually  _ notice _ that he has eyelashes instead of leaving them the bright blonde that matches his hair. He even throws on a thin layer of eyeliner, making sure his eyes don’t look  _ too _ dramatic. Prompto has no idea when the next time he’ll get married will be, if ever, so he might as well look as good as he can. Prompto is thankful he only has to use a tiny bit of foundation to cover the hickeys on his neck, considering his collar covers up most of the ones at the base of his neck. He still, like a hormonal teenager, flushes every time he sees or even  _ thinks _ about them.

As soon as Prompto manages to get most of his suit on, he can barely recognize himself in the mirror. It’s always so surreal seeing himself like this. The white jacket that he’s shrugged onto his shoulders really puts emphasis on the fact that he’s getting married. To  _ Ignis. _

Prompto still, however, has no luck tying his bowtie. He tries to remember what Ignis showed him when he tied it for him, but all he can really remember is how pretty Ignis looked as he did it.

Prompto really is such a useless bisexual dude sometimes.

“Hey, Noct, you know how to tie a bowtie, by any chance?” Prompto asks as he bursts out of the bathroom.

“Uh, not a clue, I always just ask my dad or Specs or Glad-- oh, damn. Wow, Prom,” Noct says once he looks up from his phone. He stares at Prompto with his eyes slightly wide.

Prompto feels himself flush from head to toe at Noct’s attention. “What?”

“I guess Specs wasn’t kidding. You really look good,” Noctis says, hopping off the bed. He grins. “You grow up so fast.” He pretends to sniffle.

Prompto rolls his eyes. “Shuddup,” he says, shoving Noctis playfully.

Noct laughs. “Guess we can have Specs tie your bowtie. He’s always my go-to for that kinda shit.” He grabs his wrist to apparently take Prompto to him.

Prompto sighs as he lets Noct drag him out of his room. “Why is Iggy the only one who knows how to dress himself?”

Prompto hears Ignis and Gladio from Aranea’s old room -- the closest mirror, of course -- and Prompto follows Noct in there, still a bit of butterflies knowing he’s about to see his groom-to-be looking even more handsome than usual. As soon as they appear in the doorway, he sees that Gladio’s currently helping Ignis style his hair, and the sight is pretty cute, if Prompto’s honest. Ignis looks all-too frustrated with his hair, his brow furrowed adorably as some strands of his bangs fall forward onto his head. Ignis is trying to attack it with styling gel, when Gladio knocks his wrist away. 

“Specs, you and your hair gel. Less is more, dude,” Gladio grumbles fondly. 

Ignis responds with a scathing look, and Prompto grins at how adorable it all is.

Noct laughs at the sight too, finally answering Prompto’s question. “‘Cause with Specs around, we don’t gotta learn how to do shit like that.”

Gladio vaguely registers their presence, giving up on Ignis’s stubborn hair in favor of looking over at Noctis and Prompto. “Don’t gotta learn what?” Gladio asks, turning to them.

Prompto keeps himself just at the doorway, still unable to take his eyes off of Ignis. Ignis looks just as beautiful in the dark purple tuxedo as he did before, but it’s so much  _ better  _ than before with the new knowledge that Ignis loves him, too -- that he’s  _ allowed _ and  _ welcome _ to think Ignis is so beautiful. Ignis’s profile is all he sees, as his attention is away from Prompto in favor of still trying to fix his hair in the mirror. Now that Gladio has given up on him, Ignis is attempting it himself, Prompto only just now noticing that Ignis is wearing a pair of beautiful  _ white _ gloves. He looks absolutely  _ regal. _

“How to tie a bowtie,” Noct answers for Prompto, grinning at Prompto’s distraction. “Specs, Prom’s dying without you.”

“I do recall teaching you how to tie it yourself,” Ignis says amusedly, still a bit distracted from styling his hair, not yet looking over at the two of them. Ignis huffs in frustration once more as more strands of Ignis’s ash blonde pompadour fall forward onto his forehead. Giving up for the moment, he turns to look at Prompto, and his eyes immediately soften with affection, stunned into silence for a moment. “Oh,  _ Prompto. _ My word.”

Prompto immediately feels himself flush, ducking his head down to stare at his shiny black dress shoes. Ignis makes him feel like they’re actually getting married because they’re in  _ love, _ and Prompto’s feeble heart can’t take it.

“Told ya you looked good,” Noct teases, elbowing Prompto playfully.

Prompto is too busy staring shyly at the ground he doesn’t realize Ignis has crossed the room to close the distance between the two of them until he feels the softest of pressures on his chin to gently coax his head up to look at Ignis. Astrals, Prompto can’t believe white gloves are tugging on his chin. Ignis totally doesn’t play fair.

“‘Good’ is an insult compared to how breathtaking you look,” Ignis insists, his pretty green eyes searching Prompto’s.

“Iggy,” Prompto whispers, unable to take his eyes off of Ignis’s still. “Holy shit. You look like a prince.”

Ignis smiles. “You’re far too kind. But as do you, darling.”

Ignis leans in to place the softest of kisses on Prompto’s mouth, so soft that he can hardly feel the gentle brush on his lips. Prompto closes his eyes regardless, sighing wistfully against Ignis. Kissing him feels like everything he’s ever wanted, and it dulls the anxious noise in his ears for a moment. He doesn’t remember sliding his arms up Ignis’s chest to wrap around his neck, but apparently he did, realizing it only when he opens his eyes to look up at Ignis when their lips part.

“I really don’t remember the bowtie thing, though,” Prompto admits sheepishly after all that distraction.

Ignis chuckles. “I suppose I’ll have to come to your rescue yet again. I’d rather hate to keep you  _ tied _ up.”

“You’re lucky you’re good-lookin’,” Prompto whines at the pun. His smile betrays his words, however, as a laugh escapes his mouth before he can reign it in. “But, uh, you can definitely tie me up any day.” He winks.

Ignis barks out a laugh. “We’re among company, love. Perhaps later?” He smirks.

“Dude. Gross,” Noctis cuts into their conversation. “We’re  _ right _ here.”

Prompto can’t help but flush, and Ignis’s returning smile is so beautiful as he chuckles. “It  _ is _ our wedding day, Noct,” Ignis teases.

Prompto laughs. “We won’t torture you anymore, dude, don’t worry.”

Ignis continues to smile as he reaches up to start gently helping Prompto tie his bowtie. Prompto can’t keep his eyes off him again, relishing in the gentle touch of Ignis’s white gloves. They’re a different texture than the normal gloves he wears, and he can feel the warmth of Ignis’s hands through them.

“Gods, you guys are so gross now, how did this happen?” Noct whines teasingly.

Prompto shoots Noct a dirty look as soon as Ignis pulls his bowtie tight. “Hey, look who’s talkin’, I saw you smoochin’ the big guy just now.”

Gladio snorts. “He’s got ya there, your Highness.”

Noct frowns at the nickname. “Don’t you two have somewhere to get married?” he groans.

Ignis smiles. “I believe we cannot until you allow us to, seeing as you’re the one marrying us,” he reminds Noct teasingly.

“Specs is right. Let’s head on out, Noct,” Gladio suggests.

Prompto gasps. “Wait!” he yells rather dramatically as he pulls his camera out of his suit jacket pocket. “We gotta get a pre-wedding selfie first, duh!”

Noct rolls his eyes, but still steps in close to Prompto, knowing that’s it’s useless by now to resist him. Gladio stands next to Noct, and Ignis stands on the other side of Prompto. Prompto holds his camera out, grinning as wide as he can.

“Say cheese!” Prompto teases.

Prompto clicks the capture button several times before releasing everyone out of formation. Prompto shuffles through the photos, smiling wider with each one. It looks so genuine; it’s as if Ignis and Prompto are marrying simply because they love each other, and that Noct and Gladio are there just to support.

Prompto smiles as he realizes that it might not be the  _ whole _ truth, but it still feels important somehow.

“Alright, now that’s over with, gonna take the big guy and head out there. Don’t be too late, you guys,” Noct says with a grin, pulling Prompto into a hug. “Good luck.”

Prompto smiles as he hugs his best friend back with equal enthusiasm. “Thanks, man. You too.”

“Oh, before I forget, don’t forget to take your rings off,” Noct reminds them from the doorway. “You’re gonna need to put ‘em on each other in front of  _ everyone,  _ I decided. _ ” _

Prompto frowns, looking at the ring on his finger. Prompto’s not taken it off since Ignis bought them, and he’s stupidly attached to it.

Prompto hears Ignis’s soft chuckle. Prompto looks up at him in confusion, wondering what could possibly be funny about this.

“Now, now,” Ignis soothes. “It will only for a short while, then you may have it back.”

Prompto sighs. “I know. It’s just… I’m used to wearing it, y’know? I like it.”

Ignis smiles wider than Prompto expects, and it’s so, so beautiful. “You may take mine off first, if you’d like?” he suggests.

Prompto nods, biting his lip. He reaches for Ignis’s hand, peeling off his white glove in order to gently slide the wedding band off of his finger. He pockets it, hating that Ignis isn’t going to be wearing it either.

“Okay… your turn,” Prompto says dramatically, wincing theatrically as soon as Ignis puts his glove back on, holding his hand out to Ignis.

Ignis laughs. “I never thought it’d mean so much to you,” he teases.

Prompto almost whines when he feels Ignis pull his ring off. His finger feels so light without it. He watches Ignis place Prompto’s ring in his tuxedo jacket pocket, and he furthers his pout.

Ignis leans in, pressing a soft kiss to the frown on Prompto’s mouth. Prompto can’t help but smile against him. 

“No pouting on our wedding day,” Ignis murmurs against Prompto’s lips.

Prompto grins, pulling back slightly. “I’ll try. You ready to do this thing, Igster?”

Ignis frowns this time. “My hair… I’m afraid it’s not cooperating with me.”

Prompto raises an eyebrow, looking at Ignis’s hair. It’s absolutely picture-perfect, except for the soft strands that have fallen onto his forehead. Prompto reaches up to brush them back gently.

“You’re upset about  _ that? _ You look sexy as hell,” Prompto insists.

Ignis raises an eyebrow, his cheeks decidedly pinker than before. “Prompto, it’s a wedding. I’m supposed to look proper, not--” he cuts himself off with a laugh.

“You look perfect,” Prompto promises, leaning up to kiss Ignis’s forehead. “Like a dream.”

Ignis’s arms wrap around Prompto’s waist, securing Prompto to him. Prompto giggles when he realizes he’s not leaving Ignis’s arms for the time being, kissing each other for a little while longer.

“Hey, blondie, c’mon, everyone’s waiting for you,” Aranea says from the doorway. “There’s time for that stuff later.”

Prompto feels himself flush as he disentangles himself from Ignis. He looks over at Ignis, and the wink he earns from Ignis nearly sends him into cardiac arrest. Ignis really is way too beautiful for his own good.

It’s with that thought that Prompto grips Ignis’s hand as they make their way to the overlook. They earn a few strange looks here and there at their attire, but mostly people just smile, knowing that they’re about to get married. It makes Prompto feel giddiness bubble up in his chest, like he’s actually getting married for love. Prompto guesses it helps that Prompto really does love Ignis, and judging by the way Ignis looks down at him fondly, Ignis seems to very much feel the same.

Prompto has no idea how he got so lucky.

When they get close enough to Lestallum’s overlook, Prompto nearly gasps. Somehow, in the past two days since Ignis and Prompto had been there, someone -- Cor, probably -- had set up the overlook to fit a small wedding ceremony. There’s twice as many benches and chairs set up facing the meteor, along with some of the downtown musicians in formal wear gathered to play for the reception afterwards. Prompto sees some of his and his family’s old friends seated there; Talcott, Jared, Monica, Cindy, an older man sitting next to her who Prompto guesses is Cindy’s grandfather, and other various friends of Cor’s from over the years. Aranea sits next to Cindy, and Cor sits next to her. Prompto hadn’t expected any of this, but now that he’s seen it firsthand, it feels a bit complete to Prompto -- like it was meant to be. It feels nice.

Prompto feels Ignis squeeze his hand. “Well, your father certainly prepared far better than we anticipated,” he says, a smile in his voice as he echoes Prompto’s exact thoughts.

Prompto looks up at Ignis to check, and yep, he definitely is smiling; he looks impressed, too, like this is something he approves of. Prompto can’t stop his heart from flying. “Yeah. Holy shit. You two are gonna kill me with all the surprises,” Prompto says with a laugh.

Ignis chuckles, leaning in to press a kiss to Prompto’s temple. “A tad bit too dramatic, aren’t we?”

Prompto snorts. “Never, Iggy!”

Noctis and Gladio situate themselves at the very front, facing away from the overlook. Noctis’s eyes find Prompto immediately, throwing a wink in his direction. Everyone notices Prompto and Ignis then, and Prompto’s stomach fills with butterflies. His nervous thoughts of tripping and falling return, maybe even falling over the wall and tumbling to his death would be preferable. The musicians start to play a gentle, romantic tune and he feels Ignis squeeze his hand again.

“Shall we, love? Together?” Ignis whispers in his ear.

Prompto lets the gentle timbre of Ignis’s voice calm him, and he nods. Ignis’s ring feels like a weight in his pocket as he squeezes Ignis’s hand back. They start to walk toward the front together, slowly, but not enough to put on a show, thankfully enough. Prompto really does like the idea of nontraditional weddings now that he’s sort of in a small one. He doesn’t know if he could stand hundreds of people staring at him as he tries not to trip over himself in some sort of traditional wedding. Prompto wonders if he’ll ever have to find out. He hopes not.

“This feels so real,” Prompto whispers to Ignis before they get closer to the front.

Prompto hears the softest of laughs from Ignis as he tries to keep his voice down. “Well, it certainly is, is it not?”

Prompto supposes that’s true. Sometimes he wishes he could shut his brain off. Prompto’s never been so nervous in his whole life.

As they stop in front of Noctis, Prompto hears a whistle from Cindy, which makes him smile. Knowing he’s only among friends is calming enough. Noctis levels a smirk at Prompto, and Prompto starts to laugh, his nervous energy giving him a bit of the giggles. Ignis starts to massage the back of Prompto’s hand with his thumb, reminding him to relax.

Noctis clears his throat pointedly -- he really does look way too amused by all of this. Gladio next to him is as stoic as ever save for a tiny smirk of his own, and he’s grateful that at least  _ one _ of his friends can behave themselves for a few moments. Prompto has to look just about anywhere except for Noctis’s face to avoid laughing his ass off. 

“We’re gathered here today,” Noctis begins, still that smirk just gently playing on his lips, “to celebrate the  _ union _ between my two  _ dearest _ friends, Ignis and  _ Prompto--” _ Noctis pauses to stare pointedly at Prompto teasingly again.

Prompto barks out a laugh, louder than he’s laughed yet. Flush rises to his cheeks as he realizes his best friend is  _ trying _ to get that reaction out of him in front of his friends and family.

“ _ Noctis,” _ Ignis chastises, trying to bring order back into the situation.

Noct snorts as he continues, “--in marriage surrounded by their friends and loved ones.”

Prompto tries to stop himself from blushing. It’s even worse when Noct  _ doesn’t _ tease him, because now it’s all serious and romantic. Prompto’s pretty sure just cartwheeling off the edge of the overlook would be a lot easier than this.

Noctis seems to sober up after a particularly scathing look from Ignis, thankfully enough. “Ignis, Prompto, go on and hold each other’s hands as I join you in marriage.”

With a gentle smile, Ignis joins their other set of hands as he turns to look at Prompto. Prompto tries so hard not to laugh -- he is  _ so  _ not emotionally cut out for seriousness -- but utterly fails at not blushing from head to toe as he holds Ignis’s hands tightly. He tries to focus on the color of Ignis’s eyes and the softness of his gloves more than anything else. His fingers itch to take a picture of the gentle look in Ignis’s eyes, clearly trying to calm Prompto down, bless him.

“Ignis Scientia,” Noctis begins, still wearing a tiny smile, “do you take Prompto Argentum to be your husband, in sickness and in health, no matter how messy he can be, or however many really ugly pictures of you he might take and refuse to delete, or how much he sucks at King’s Knight?” He grins, clearly happy with himself.

A loud laugh from Aranea sounds first, followed by Cindy’s amused giggle. Prompto’s own father snorts, and Gladio even can’t help but laugh under his breath.

Prompto, however, is completely mortified. “ _ Noct!” _ he hisses, flushing an even brighter red.

Prompto looks back over at Ignis just in time to see Ignis roll his eyes. “Thank you for that, Noct,” Ignis says sarcastically. “Yes, I do.”

Despite his best friend being a complete and total goblin, Prompto still can’t help but smile at Ignis’s vow, even if this whole wedding is sort of Fake-But-Also-Real.

Noctis bites his lip on a grin, calming his gentle laughter before continuing. Prompto can tell the faux serious expression in his eyes means he’s in for more disaster. Prompto can’t help but smile as he rolls his eyes, too, preparing for the worst.

“And Prompto Argentum, do you... take Ignis Scientia to be  _ your _ husband, in sickness and in health, no matter how much he might force you to eat really gross healthy foods he’s cooked for you, or forces you to stay awake for 48 hours straight to make sure you hit every work deadline, or  _ even _ if his fashion tastes get so pretentious that he ends up ironing your  _ jeans _ ?” Noct asks pointedly, grinning fully now. He earns more laughter from their tiny gathering.

Prompto has to look at his feet for a minute to keep himself from bursting into laughter. He looks back up at Ignis, who looks decidedly more pink, but still as composed as one could be in this situation. “Yep, I  _ definitely _ do.”

Ignis squeezes both of Prompto’s hands, smiling fondly at Prompto despite Noct’s silliness. Prompto, a bit flushed still, smiles back, laughing a little.

“Alright, well, now that  _ that’s _ established,” Noctis teases, “you two can put your rings on each other.”

A thousand anxious thoughts run through his mind about this. What if he drops Ignis’s ring and it rolls into a drain? What if the ring already fell out? What if he puts it on the wrong finger first and--

Ignis seems to notice the panicked look on Prompto’s face, as he lets go of Prompto’s hands to reach into his pocket for Prompto’s ring. Prompto bites his lip, smiling a little at just how much Ignis seems to notice. Ignis gently flips Prompto’s ring hand over, sliding the ring easily onto Prompto’s finger. The ring’s been on his finger for days now -- almost a week -- yet it still feels brand new in this light.

As soon as Prompto’s ring is on securely, he finally musters the courage to reach into his suit pocket and finds Ignis’s ring still there, despite his anxious thoughts. Prompto takes a deep breath, gently peeling Ignis’s white glove off of his ring hand. Ignis takes the glove in his other hand as Prompto looks up at him nervously. With an encouraging, warm smile from Ignis, Prompto proceeds to carefully slide the ring onto Ignis’s finger as well, extra slowly so he doesn’t drop it. Prompto’s hands only tremble slightly, thankfully. Ignis pockets his glove for now, showing off the ring as he grips both of Prompto’s hands again, squeezing them reassuringly to keep them from trembling. Prompto throws an affectionate smile at him, a wordless thank you for indulging him.

“Alright,” Noct says, his tone a little more somber after their exchange, “I pronounce you two married. You guys can kiss now.”

For some reason, all of Prompto’s nervous energy bursts forth in the form of excitement. He closes the distance between himself and Ignis easily, wrapping his arms around Ignis’s waist. Ignis slides his arms around Prompto’s neck in surprise, smiling as Prompto leans up for a kiss. Prompto sighs contentedly as soon as their mouths meet, the softness of Ignis’s lips calming him. Prompto uses all of his adrenaline to dip Ignis slightly, and Ignis laughs against Prompto’s mouth in surprise. It feels so right to hold Ignis in his arms like this, kissing him as their friends and family clap and cheer. He giggles as he hears a particularly loud whistle from Gladio. Ignis can’t stop smiling, his fingers digging into the back of Prompto’s neck to keep himself grounded, and it makes Prompto feel whole.

Prompto finally lets Ignis stand upright after a few extra kisses (as if anyone can blame him). Ignis smiles at him, reaching out to tuck a lock of hair behind Prompto’s ear.

“I’m proud of you, love,” Ignis whispers for Prompto and only Prompto.

Prompto grins, leaning up to kiss Ignis on the corner of his mouth one more time.

Noctis throws his arms around Prompto and Ignis’s shoulders, laughing. “Congrats, guys, you fake married,” he teases, lowering his voice so only they can hear.

“Thanks for sabotaging our beautiful wedding,” Prompto groans at him teasingly.

“C’mon, I made it better,” Noct points out. “Now you won’t forget it when you guys renew your vows in, like, a year or something.”

Gladio laughs as he claps Ignis on the back. “It definitely wasn’t boring,” he says. “Congrats, guys.”

Prompto reaches in his pocket to pull out his camera, taking advantage of the closeness. “One more, since you  _ totally _ owe me, Noct.”

“Indeed, you do,” Ignis adds, leaning in close for Prompto’s selfie.

Noct laughs. “Fine.”

Prompto snaps a few selfies with the four of them as the rest of their guests come to join them. Prompto takes a few more pictures of everyone, especially with Cor and Aranea both dressed in suits, Cindy wearing a pretty button-up as well.

Cor approaches the two of them, reaching out to place a hand on Prompto’s shoulder. “You looked great up there, kiddo,” Cor tells Prompto. “Thanks for doing all this for your old man, despite the circumstances.”

“We should be thanking you. I didn’t know you set all this up,” Prompto says. “But thanks, Dad. It was nice to celebrate it.”

Cor smiles sheepishly. “Yeah, I sort of arranged a few things and paid the band off after our little fight, to make it up to you.”

Prompto rubs the back of his neck awkwardly, avoiding Cor’s gaze. “Guess I should’ve been the one making stuff up to you, huh?”

“Not at all, Prompto. Don’t worry about it. You’ve more than made up for that today. I’m just glad you two are alright,” Cor says. He looks over at Ignis, reaching out with his free hand to squeeze Ignis’s shoulder as well. “Take good care of him, alright?”

Prompto peeks over at Ignis just in time to see him smile at Cor. “You have my word, I will do everything I can for him,” Ignis promises sincerely.

Prompto watches Aranea and Cindy walk up to them after giving Cor his space alone with Prompto. Now that the ceremony is over, Aranea apparently finds it appropriate to ruffle Prompto’s hair affectionately, ruining his perfect coif. Prompto whines, laughing a little.

“You look great, shortcake. You did great. I’m happy for you guys,” Aranea says. “Just don’t get divorced  _ too _ fast, alright?” She winks.

Prompto feels his cheeks flush as he remembers that he told his  _ whole  _ family about the lie.

Before Prompto can respond, Cindy elbows Aranea playfully. “Don’t be mean, sugar! They’ll be together forever, I jus’ know it. You two were darlin’, though I think your friend Noctis was try’na tease y’all a little  _ too _ much.”

Prompto laughs. Cindy must not be in on the secret. Aranea levels a wink at Prompto, and he grins.

“I know, I know, I’m horrible,” Aranea says dramatically. “You two totally do look all gross and in love, though.”

“Thanks, guys. It means a lot that you were here,” Prompto says.

“Cindy is right. I do have a rather good feeling about us. Thank you both for coming,” Ignis adds, wrapping an arm around Prompto’s waist. “Would you care to dance with me, darling?”

Prompto doesn’t feel as nervous about dancing as he did the other day -- he knows Ignis won’t make him look like a total idiot. Prompto smiles even wider. “Thought you’d never ask, babe.”

Aranea smiles. “Want me to take some pics for you, blondie?”

Prompto perks up, practically jumping at the opportunity. He tosses his camera to her, watching her catch it. “Make sure you get my good side, dude!”

Aranea rolls her eyes, shooing them off. “Get outta here, nerd,” she teases.

Prompto grins at her one last time before he turns to Ignis, allowing him to pull Prompto into his arms. Prompto rests his hand on his shoulder, sighing as he melts into Ignis’s embrace. As they start swaying to the music, Prompto tries to keep up with Ignis’s footing.

Ignis smiles softly. “You’re doing wonderfully, just like we practiced.”

Prompto laughs nervously. “Is that why we practiced this the other day? So I wouldn’t look like a total idiot right now?”

“Nonsense,” Ignis murmurs with a soft chuckle. “I danced with you the other day simply because I wished to be close to you in any way that I could.”

Prompto resists the urge to simply die in Ignis’s arms, the blush that was just about faded away crops up again. “Iggy, jeez. You don’t gotta be  _ that _ charming anymore, we’re totes married now,” he jokes.

“And not be rewarded with that beautiful blush of yours? Hardly,” Ignis teases.

Prompto looks up at him, leaning up just enough to kiss him on the lips, not wanting to linger too much or he’ll lose his footing. “Shit. Wish I could marry you all over again.”

“Well, that can certainly be arranged if we ever were to decide to keep this arrangement of ours permanent,” Ignis points out. “No pressure, of course.”

Prompto’s heart thuds excitedly at the thought. If they were to last… they could renew their vows, and have a proper wedding if they wanted to. Then again, just this ceremony was perfect. All Prompto really needs is his friends, family, and Ignis, of course. 

“No pressure at all,” Prompto says. “In the meantime, guess I just gotta show my love in more fun ways.” He winks cheekily at Ignis.

Ignis smirks. “Well, I certainly couldn’t say no to that. I quite liked how you took control of our kiss earlier, I won’t lie.”

“Oh, did you?” Prompto teases. “I can show you all kinds of ways I can take control…” He starts tugging on Ignis’s bowtie teasingly.

“Do behave in public, Prompto, you’ve no idea the effect you have on me,” Ignis whispers, kissing Prompto’s temple. Prompto closes his eyes for a brief moment to savor the warmth of Ignis’s lips better.

Prompto can’t stop the heat from flooding his cheeks. “Gimme a little credit, man, we  _ are _ newlyweds. Gotta consummate our marriage.” He grins.

“Perhaps when we get home, I can reward your good behavior,” Ignis purrs in Prompto’s ear.

It’s a little sad how easily Ignis can make Prompto’s pants feel tighter with just a few pretty words whispered in his ear. The trip home will definitely be the longest car ride of his life, hands down.

“I’ll hold you to that, baby. I can behave.”

Ignis smirks. “We’ll have to see, then, shall we?”

Prompto almost wishes he could just drag Ignis to his car and fuck his brains out in the backseat, but he doesn’t voice these wants -- that would fall under the category of  _ misbehaving. _ So, he decides to change the subject.

“Guess so,” Prompto says with a grin. “Now that I remember, this crosses off a lot of questions on our green card interview list. Ones about marriage.”

“Oh?” Ignis smiles. “Which ones might those be?”

“Where we got married, we know how many people attended, what we both wore, our wedding wasn’t traditional, we hired musicians -- or at least my dad did, we didn’t have a cake -- which is kind of terrible, really… and I guess we didn’t have any kind of honeymoon.”

Ignis raises an eyebrow. “That certainly does answer quite a few. Would you like one?”

“One what?” Prompto asks, confused. "A cake?

Ignis laughs. “Well, no, but I can certainly arrange that as well. A honeymoon, of course. I’m certain we can arrange something, if it is of import to you.”

Prompto looks at him with surprise. “Do  _ you _ want one?”

Ignis smiles. “I think it would be rather nice, don’t you agree?”

“Well, yeah, but we’re already gonna get our asses handed to us for missing work these two days. It’s not like we could take  _ another _ vacation.”

“Perhaps, but seeing as I’m to head to Altissia for fashion week… and what with your photographer promotion on the horizon, I’m certain we could take some time there together. Have you ever been there?”

Prompto widens his eyes. “ _ Altissia? _ No way, dude. I’ve never been there. Do you really think I’ll be able to transfer to the photography department?”

Ignis smiles as he spins Prompto away from him during their dance. “It was to be a surprise until you returned to work tomorrow, but I suppose it’s rather cruel to keep you in the dark. Upon Noct’s arrival, he informed me that Regis already approved on your transfer, and you’re to start photographing as soon as we return. Congratulations, my love.”

Prompto’s jaw drops slightly as he gasps. He thought this would be a shot in the dark, that even if he managed to get that transfer, he’d be waiting for months and months for nothing to really happen. Prompto never even thought he’d get it in the first place. 

Prompto spins back into him and slides his arm further around Ignis’s neck, holding him tighter, laughing happily. “Are you serious, Iggy?! I can’t believe this.”

“Deadly so, Prompto. I’m so proud of you,” Ignis promises. “You deserve all that and more.”

“Wait, does this mean I won’t get to see you all day anymore?” Prompto asks sadly. Now that he knows Ignis is far different from his original impression, the thought of having to be away from him is bittersweet.

Ignis laughs. “We won’t be far from each other. I’m simply a few steps away from your studio.”

Prompto smiles. “I’ll just have a feature in the magazine about ya. Gotta take photos of you all day long.”

Ignis leans in to kiss Prompto’s forehead. “I would welcome that from you and you only,” he teases. “I do have to arrange travel details for Altissia as soon as we’re to arrive back home, so do let me know your preference as soon as you can, won’t you?”

“Um,  _ duh, _ I wanna go with you. I’d get so many beautiful shots.” Prompto sighs wistfully. “And getting to spend more time with you? It’s gonna be  _ so  _ romantic.”

“Mmm. I was rather hoping you’d say yes,” Ignis admits. “Quite a lovely honeymoon, don’t you agree?”

“Yeah. It’s perfect. Thank you, Iggy.”

Ignis raises an eyebrow. “It isn’t entirely my doing; perhaps you should thank Regis, instead.” He chuckles.

“N-no, I mean, for all this. I know that you liked being here, but you made this something special, and you didn’t have to. And you brought Noct, and even Gladio… planning a honeymoon for us to have, and stuff. I didn’t really expect any of this, so… thank you, Igs. I love you.”

Ignis moves his hand off of Prompto’s waist long enough to grip his chin, tilting Prompto’s head upward before putting his hand back on his waist. “You needn’t thank me for any of this, Prompto. I love you dearly, and I love seeing you happy like this.”

Prompto can’t seem to help himself; before he can decide otherwise he’s leaning up to kiss Ignis, wanting to be as close to him as possible. Ignis smiles against his mouth, and Prompto presses against his warmth, wanting him more than anything. Ignis parts his lips for him slightly, Prompto about to brush his tongue into Ignis’s mouth, getting lost in the moment.

Prompto pulls away abruptly after he hears a rather loud shutter clicking sound, and he looks over to find Noct with Prompto’s camera, apparently having taken it from Aranea, who apparently isn’t bothered by it, as she’s dancing with Cindy now.

“Noct,” Prompto whines.

“What? Had to do something before you guys get even more gross,” Noctis teases. 

Noct tosses Prompto his camera. Prompto pulls away from Ignis to catch it, and levels Noctis a scathing look. “I hope you haven’t forgotten all the embarrassing photos I have of you, dude. I am  _ not _ afraid to share those babies with your adoring public.”

Ignis chuckles, wrapping his arms around Prompto from behind. “Perhaps he’s right,  _ Prince _ Noctis, you’d be wise to stop teasing the photographer.”

Prompto has the honor of watching his best friend’s face turn pink. “Fine, truce. Come have some champagne,” Noct says, walking off toward Gladio.

“We should have some,” Ignis encourages in Prompto’s ear. “Get some bites to eat, and say our goodbyes before we leave. I’d hate to arrive home too late tonight.”

Prompto turns on his camera to go through the pictures Aranea took. Prompto leans back onto Ignis’s shoulder. “Uh huh. Just… lemme see if we got any good photos.”

Prompto nearly starts cooing at some of these. Just the photos where Prompto is secure in Ignis’s arms as they dance are enough to cause him to go into cardiac arrest. Aranea managed to capture some photos of Ignis tilting Prompto’s head upward, and ones where they’re smiling at each other like a bunch of nerds. Even Noct’s stupid photo where he caught them kissing makes Prompto’s heart beat fast.

“These are darling,” Ignis comments. “You ought to send me these. They’re worthy of framing.”

Prompto turns his head to look up at Ignis incredulously. “You’d frame a pic of us?”

“Why would I not? We are together, are we not?” Ignis teases. “We have to draw attention to our wedding photos, after all.”

Prompto laughs. “Yeah. I guess it’s easy to fake a wedding when you’re actually not faking anything else.”

“Indeed.” Ignis kisses his forehead again.

When they make their way over to Gladio and Noct, Gladio looks over at the two of them.

“How you lovebirds doin’?” Gladio asks.

Ignis smiles. “Fairly well, I’d say. Did either of you bring the documents I asked for?”

Gladio grins. “You mean your marriage license? Yup, got it right here.” 

Gladio had already set the documents on the table before they arrived. Prompto smiles. He knows it’s not entirely over; they’ll still have to do their marriage interview when they get back home, but the ceremony and signing feels so official.

“Are you ready to sign it, Prompto?” Ignis asks.

“Like you gotta ask,” Noctis teases. “He’s practically drooling at it.”

“Shuddup, dude!” Prompto whines with a laugh. “I’m ready.”

Prompto watches Ignis sign his elegant signature above his printed name. Prompto takes a deep breath and scrawls his signature on the line next to it. Gladio and Noctis sign as witnesses, and just like that, he's married  _ officially  _ to Ignis -- something he never thought possible in a million years. 

Ignis's arms slide around Prompto's waist from behind. "Congratulations, my love," he whispers into Prompto's ear. “You've officially saved your husband from unemployment."

Prompto laughs as he leans back into Ignis's arms. "Pft, yeah right. You could get a job  _ anywhere. _ Congrats to you, though, you officially have the world's okayest hubby."

Ignis chuckles. "I think you mean best, darling."

Prompto can’t help but flush, realizing that Ignis isn’t going to stop charming him anytime soon. “No way. That’s you.”

Ignis turns Prompto’s face to place a soft kiss on his lips. “It appears we’ve reached an impasse,” he teases.

Prompto giggles. “I guess so, babe.”

After they sign the marriage license, things relax a lot further. They end up drinking a few glasses of champagne, Ignis limiting himself so that he can drive later. Prompto ends up doing the same, as he doesn’t want Ignis to have to drive the entire way himself. They eat lots of food and share lots of laughs. Prompto ends up filling an entire memory card with photos of friends, family, selfies, their wedding. Even the overlook seems busier today, Prompto taking photos of everything in sight. Ignis keeps his hand in his most of the time, and Prompto feels so good right now; the mood seems to be contagious. Gladio and Noct can’t seem to keep their eyes off of each other, and Cindy keeps giggling at every word Aranea says. Everything seems to be right for once.

All in all, it’s the most casual fake wedding ever, but it also seems to be the most fun. This is all Prompto ever wanted for a wedding, anyway. And if he ever wants more, he knows Ignis would indulge him.

Prompto can’t predict the future, of course, but something tells him that Prompto isn’t going to want anyone other than him. Ignis is perfect to him.

The hours seem to fly by, and Prompto feels a little bittersweet when the afternoon rolls around quicker than he thought it would. Ignis leans in, his lips at Prompto’s ear. “We should start saying our goodbyes, don’t you think, Prompto?”

Prompto sighs reluctantly. “Yeah, we should.”

Noctis still manages to overhear their conversation, sitting up with a frown on his face. “You guys are heading back  _ already _ ?” Noctis whines. “Stay a little longer, c’mon.”

Gladio snorts, ruffling Noct’s hair. “Just ‘cause  _ you _ don’t gotta drive all that way ‘til your champagne wears off, doesn’t mean everyone else doesn’t, either.”

Prompto laughs. “Not like I won’t see you at work tomorrow morning, duder.”

Noctis groans. “Do we  _ really _ gotta work tomorrow… can’t we, like, celebrate this all week or something?”

“In your dreams, your highness,” Gladio teases.

“I’m certain you’ll manage, Noct,” Ignis adds with a smirk. 

“Fine, but we’re meeting up at the Crow’s Nest together for dinner,” Noct counters.

“Sure, buddy, if you’re not passed out in the car by then,” Prompto teases.

Noctis leans into Gladio’s bicep. “You guys are mean.” He hesitates for a moment. “Love you. Drive safe.”

Ignis laughs. “I’m certain we can manage to meet up for supper. I love you as well, Noct. You drive safely as well, Gladio…? Precious  _ royal _ cargo you have, there.”

“Shuddup, Specs,” Noctis mumbles into Gladio’s arm.

Prompto grins. “Love you too, dude.”

Prompto makes sure to ruffle Noct’s hair as he walks around them, heading over to Aranea, Cindy, and Cor.

“You heading out, kiddo?” Cor asks. “Time went by pretty fast. It was nice to see you, so don’t you dare be a stranger, you hear me, Prompto?”

Prompto smiles. “I won’t, I promise. Maybe you can come see me sometime, hang out with Regis, all that.”

“Sounds good,” Cor allows.

“Thanks for everything. You really saved my ass,” Prompto says with a laugh.

Cor grins. “That’s what I’m here for, Prompto. Drive safely, you two.”

“We will,” Prompto promises. “Bye, Dad. I love you.”

“Thank you for your hospitality, Cor. Farewell for now,” Ignis adds with a pleasant smile.

Cindy perks up. “If anythin’ is wrong with yer car again, lemme know. Should be runnin’ real nice now, though. I gave her a quick look when I installed yer new battery.”

Ignis smiles. “Thank you, Cindy. I cannot thank you enough for how quickly you were able to get it back to me.”

“Ain’t a problem, sugar! I’m glad to help y’all. Congrats, again. It was nice meetin’ y’all. Maybe ‘Nea will take me to the crown city to see y’all soon.”

“That’d be great, Cindy. It was so good meeting you,” Prompto says, taking the offer for the hug that Cindy presents.

“Sure, babe, you’d look real good on my bike,” Aranea teases Cindy. “You heard Dad, though. If I don’t see those freckles soon, I’m gonna come hunt you down.”

Prompto laughs as Aranea pulls him into her arms. “For reaaals, girl, I’m gonna see you real soon. Thanks for pulling my head outta my ass last night.”

“That’s what I’m here for,” Aranea says. She looks over at Ignis. “Thanks for taking care of this squirt for me. It was nice meeting you, Ignis.”

“Likewise, Aranea. Prompto is lucky to have you for a sister,” Ignis says gently, hugging Aranea as well. It warms Prompto’s heart to see Ignis and his sister embracing.

“Well, I’d be happy to be yours too, as long as you’re not a stranger, either,” Aranea says with a smirk. She lets Ignis go. “Take care, guys.”

“Bye, sis,” Prompto says, smiling a little at how easily Ignis fits in with his family. He hadn’t expected  _ that _ at all.

Prompto sighs, lost in thought about it all when they settle in Ignis’s car. Prompto looks over at Ignis once he feels Ignis’s fingers gently trace his cheekbone.

“Are you alright, love?” Ignis asks.

Prompto can’t help but feel his cheeks heat up at the soft touch. “Yeah, I’m just a little scared, y’know, ‘cause that was probably a lot of pressure for you. I just want you to know that, like, you don’t owe me anything,” Prompto says sheepishly. “Just ‘cause my family likes you doesn’t mean you’re stuck with me.”

“Where is this coming from?” Ignis wonders, moving his fingers upward to start stroking his hair. “I don’t feel any pressure, darling. I had a wonderful time today.”

“You’re not just sayin’ that, are you? ‘Cause I get it… this wasn’t ever supposed to be all this.”

“Not at all,” Ignis promises. “Were I to feel any pressure on our relationship, I would inform you. You have my word, Prompto.”

Prompto smiles. “Okay,” he says in relief. “Just had to check, ya know?”

Ignis is quiet for the briefest of moments, causing Prompto to look over at him. Prompto finds that Ignis is staring at him, the fondest of expressions on his elegant features. “You’re possibly the sweetest man I’ve ever met,” Ignis tells him sincerely.

Prompto’s smile widens as he reaches up to gently touch Ignis’s hand on his face. “No way, dude. That’s all you,” he says softly.

Ignis chuckles. “We’re more than alright, love. Are you ready to head home?”

Prompto feels relief at the reassurance, heart racing as Ignis calls their destination  _ home _ . He beams. “Yeah, I’m hella ready. You want me to drive?”

Ignis turns on the engine, settling for taking Prompto’s hand in his own. “No, just relax a bit. You may take over later if necessary, hmm?”

Prompto holds his hand through most of the trip home, except for when Prompto sneaks about a dozen or two photos of Ignis driving. It’s not like he can exactly help it when Ignis is still dressed to the nines gripping the steering wheel with those  _ white _ gloves still,  _ Astrals. _ After they meet up with Noctis and Gladio at a Crow’s Nest diner somewhere in Duscae -- Prompto lost track of where they were miles ago -- Prompto takes over the drive home, only about two hours away now. Ignis only presents mild fussing when he reluctantly gives up the wheel, not because he doesn’t trust Prompto, but because he doesn’t want Prompto to have to do anything, apparently. It makes Prompto smile. 

Regardless, the trip home seems a lot longer, but flies by when Prompto takes over the wheel. Ignis seems a bit nervous letting Prompto drive at first, but relaxes a bit after the first half an hour. By the time Prompto pulls into Ignis’s apartment building, Ignis’s eyes are closed as he rests his head against his hand, elbow propped up on the passenger’s side window. Prompto smiles as he parks, not wanting to disturb such a rare sight. Prompto aches to take a photo of how adorable Ignis looks as he’s sleeping, but doesn’t want to invade his privacy.

Ignis, being the light sleeper he is, notices the cut of the engine and his eyes flutter open, sitting up straight with soft surprise. “Apologies, I must have dozed,” Ignis says gently. “We’ve arrived?”

“Uh huh. Sorry to wake you, babe,” Prompto says sheepishly. “Lemme take you to bed.”

Ignis smirks as he unbuckles his seatbelt, reaching over to rest his hand on Prompto’s thigh, not high enough to be obscene, but just high enough to make Prompto’s heart race.

“I do believe you promised me something other than sleep tonight,” Ignis purrs. “Unless if you’re tired, of course…”

Prompto’s anything  _ but _ tired, especially when those white gloves look so pretty against his dress pants. Prompto imagines gently peeling off every layer of Ignis’s tuxedo and giving him  _ everything _ , and it’s not long before he’s putting his hand over Ignis’s and guiding it higher until it touches Prompto’s half-hard arousal.

“Definitely not tired, baby,” Prompto murmurs, eyes half-lidded.

Ignis responds with the quirk of his eyebrow before gently squeezing Prompto’s cock through his pants. Prompto lets out a whine at the contact, feeling himself harden further under Ignis’s touch.

“Then take me to bed, darling.” Ignis’s tone is teasing and absolutely irresistible. 


	14. Chapter 14

By the time Prompto manages to drag Ignis to the elevator of Ignis’s building in record time, his dress pants are much too tight for their own good. Arousal courses through him as he tries to behave in the elevator. Ignis has absolutely none of it; he slides an arm around Prompto, pulling him against him, his back to Ignis’s front, every inch of Prompto’s body pressed against Ignis. He knows there’s cameras in Ignis’s fancy penthouse apartment elevator, he’s not an idiot. He knows his strength -- if he had any to begin with -- is going to waver, and  _ fast _ .

Ignis, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to care at all about the cameras, as Ignis’s arms wrap tighter around Prompto from behind, questing fingers sliding down to Prompto’s belt buckle. He doesn’t do anything other than let his fingers tease just underneath the waistband of his pants, close enough to Prompto’s cock that Prompto lets out a soft gasp, wanting to grind into his touch so badly.

“I-Iggy, aren’t there cameras in here?” Prompto gasps, not wanting Ignis to stop regardless.

Ignis’s lips are at his ear then, his teeth gently tugging on Prompto’s earlobe before his tongue gently laps at the shell of his ear. Prompto shudders at the contact, getting lost in the sensation when Ignis whispers in his ear, “And if there were, would that bother you? I don’t care if they see how much I belong to you.” A soft chuckle sounds in Prompto’s ears, the deep timbre of Ignis’s voice settling pleasantly along his nerves. “Surely, they can see how much you already belong to  _ me _ .” Teeth graze against Prompto’s earlobe once more.

Prompto can’t help it; he lets out the softest of moans at the suggestion, and he’s  _ really _ glad no one can get on this private elevator when he’s sporting a full hard-on at this point.

“Sh-shit _ ,” _ Prompto gasps, wanting Ignis to move his hands  _ just _ a bit lower, relieve some of the ache in his arousal. He wants Ignis so badly he weighs the pros and cons of just fucking him right here in this elevator. “Gods, I’m all yours, Iggy…” 

Ignis laughs again, low and suggestive. “Mmm, well, since I cannot touch… I suppose I’ll simply just have to  _ tell _ you how badly I want to feel you inside of me instead,” he purrs, his voice so close to Prompto’s ear still sending pleasant tingles down his spine.

Prompto throws his head back against Ignis’s shoulder as he moans. He can feel Ignis’s hardness pressed against his ass and he grinds against it. “Fuck, please,” Prompto whines. “Keep going…”

“You’ve no idea how badly I want to feel you come inside of me, darling,” Ignis continues. His mouth moves slightly to tongue just underneath Prompto’s ear, eliciting a shudder from Prompto. “I want to see how exquisite you look when you take me, and make me  _ all _ yours.”

Prompto groans at Ignis’s words as he tilts his head to the side, wanting to feel Ignis’s warm, wet kisses to the most sensitive parts of him. He closes his eyes for a moment, leaning into the teasing kisses. Prompto feels Ignis press another soft bite to one of Prompto’s already-existing hickeys, and the pleasure radiates all the way down his body, making his cock throb.

Prompto feels Ignis’s hands slide down until they brush against his cock through his pants, and Prompto lets out a whimper. “ _ Fuck,” _ he hisses. He grinds into Ignis’s teasing touch as Ignis’s fingers curl teasingly around his length. Prompto turns around to face Ignis then, throwing his arms around Ignis’s neck. He leans in to hover his lips against Ignis’s, cock brushing against Ignis’s own. “You want me to fuck you, baby?”

Ignis wraps his arms around Prompto’s waist, hands sliding low enough to lift Prompto off the ground. Prompto hooks his legs around Ignis’s waist, groaning as their arousals brush against one another. 

“No, darling,” Ignis murmurs. “I  _ need _ you to. Would you like to take me, love?”

“Gods, you have no idea how much I wanna fuck you,” Prompto moans, lowering his head to kiss Ignis, his tongue swirling into Ignis’s mouth. Ignis moans quietly against Prompto’s mouth as he kisses back. Prompto keeps his fingers locked around Ignis’s neck as they kiss. He barely registers the pause Ignis takes to unlock his door, as Prompto moves his lips to Ignis’s neck. He kisses every inch of skin that Ignis’s tuxedo jacket doesn’t cover. He secures his mouth just above where Ignis’s bowtie lies and sucks a hickey  _ hard _ into Ignis’s neck.

Ignis lets out an even louder groan now that they’re alone in his apartment, pausing to slide his hand up Prompto’s back until it reaches the back of his head, securing Prompto’s mouth harder against his neck. Prompto indulges him for a moment, kissing and sucking the surface of Ignis’s neck, feeling goosebumps rise on Ignis skin.

Prompto pulls away for a moment, lips brushing against Ignis’s ear just as Ignis had done to him moments before. “That feel good, Iggy?”

Ignis tilts his head for Prompto to have better access to his neck. “You have no idea, Prompto.”

Prompto giggles as Ignis carries him down the hallway to the bedroom, Prompto keeping his mouth secured to Ignis’s neck the entire way. Ignis wastes no time, sitting on the edge of the bed, perching Prompto on his lap.

Prompto kisses him eagerly for a moment, enjoying the feeling of their cocks pressed together through their clothing. “Gonna take real good care of you, baby,” he breathes as he pushes Ignis gently to lie down. 

Ignis hums in approval as he lets Prompto lay him down, gently leaning back, eyes still locked on Prompto’s. Prompto pauses for a moment as he straddles Ignis, admiring the view. Ignis lays his hands gently above his head, smirking up at Prompto. He looks so pretty like this; hair unkempt, still in his slightly disheveled tuxedo as he looks up at Prompto with need. Prompto’s cock throbs in his pants just at the sight of him. 

“Gods, Iggy, you look so good,” Prompto whines. “I want you so bad.”

Ignis lets out a tiny whimper, delivering a gentle thrust upward into Prompto’s lap impatiently. “Hurry it up then, love,” he says in a low purr. “Come up here.”

Prompto leans down then, sliding up Ignis’s body. Prompto takes his time to grind hard against Ignis’s cock, earning another low moan from Ignis. Ignis wraps his arm around Prompto, securing him against him. Prompto gasps as Ignis rolls his hips upward, putting more pressure against his arousal as their lips lock, gasping into each other’s mouths.

Prompto enjoys the taste of his mouth for just a few moments before he sits up on top of Ignis and slides his hands greedily down Ignis’s dress shirt, untucking it so he can start working the buttons off one by one. As soon as his shirt is unbuttoned, Prompto runs his hands along Ignis’s chest, brushing his thumbs against Ignis’s nipples, feeling it harden under his fingers. Ignis lets out a sharp gasp, arching a little at the touch. Ignis’s chest is flushed with arousal, lips parted in pleasure. He looks absolutely  _ beautiful. _

“Prompto,” Ignis gasps. “Don’t stop.”

Prompto smiles, his cock throbbing at the plea from Ignis. He leans down and runs his tongue along his right nipple, sucking on the sensitive flesh. Ignis moans under his breath, biting his lip as he brings his hand to rest in Prompto’s hair, tugging on his blonde locks gently. Prompto continues to swirl his tongue around Ignis’s nipple before moving to the other to do the same. It’s all worth it for the pleasured sigh that leaves Ignis’s pretty pink lips, his fingers in Prompto’s hair starting to caress when Prompto gives him what he wants.

Prompto can’t help but grind against Ignis’s dick as he teases Ignis with his mouth. He’s so hard it  _ hurts _ at this point. He can’t wait to fuck Ignis, to feel the man underneath him come undone just from his touch. 

Ignis groans at the stimulation against his cock as his other hand slides down Prompto to grip his ass. Prompto lets out a pleasured whine when Ignis squeezes his ass, encouraging every needy roll of Prompto’s hips, sliding him further up against Ignis’s cock. Prompto moves his mouth off of Ignis’s chest to breathe, gasping in pleasure when their cocks frot together again.

As good as this feels, Prompto can’t wait any longer, desperate to fuck Ignis with all he has. He slides off of Ignis to lie next to him so he can work Ignis’s belt buckle, unzipping Ignis’s dress pants so he can touch Ignis without the barrier of clothing. Prompto wraps his hand around Ignis’s cock, already fully hard, the touch causing Ignis to gasp through his teeth as Prompto pulls it out of his pants

Prompto takes in the sight of Ignis’s cock as soon as it’s freed, unable to help himself; it’s flushed bright red with arousal as it presses against Ignis’s stomach. Prompto’s mouth waters just looking at it. Ignis looks over at Prompto with need, rolling his hips upward into the air as soon as Prompto moves his hand off of Ignis’s cock. 

“Mmm, Prompto,” Ignis murmurs, spreading his legs to show off his cock further, “hurry, love.”

Prompto groans as he spits in his palm to slick up Ignis’s cock. “Holy fuck, I’m going to  _ ruin _ you, dude. You’re so fucking beautiful.”

Ignis keeps his wrists locked above his head, smiling pleasurably as he lets out a soft whimper of approval that goes right to Prompto’s dick. Prompto immediately rewards Ignis by reaching down to grip the shaft of Ignis’s cock tightly, taking advantage of the slickness of his palm to slowly tease his fist upward toward the head of his arousal. Prompto watches as a bead of precome leaks steadily out of the tip, earning more as soon as he squeezes just underneath the head with his thumb and forefinger. Prompto looks over at Ignis’s face just in time to see him close his eyes in pleasure, a low, beautiful moan leaving his lips.

“That feels marvelous,” Ignis whispers. “ _ Prompto…” _

“Gods, I could touch you like this all day,” Prompto murmurs. It’s true; laying next to Ignis as he works his cock is something he’ll never forget, especially considering how beautiful and receptive Ignis is to his touch.

Ignis laughs breathlessly, eyes still closed, his fingernails digging into his palm as his chest rises and falls rapidly with every slow stroke Prompto gives on his cock. “I’m inclined to let you, bloody  _ hell.” _

Prompto grins and decides to pick up the pace then, done torturing Ignis with slow teases. He starts to pump Ignis’s cock with his fist faster, squeezing it on every upstroke to earn that pretty stream of precome leaking onto his fingers, helping him lubricate his cock even further. Ignis moans shakily as he slowly starts to seek his own pleasure, his hips pressing insistently upward to fuck into Prompto’s grip erratically.

Prompto’s own cock throbs with neglect in his pants as he watches how beautifully Ignis’s cock reacts to his touch. “Yeah, just like that, sweetheart,” he praises. “You feel so good in my hand.”

Ignis opens his eyes to thrust upward harder into Prompto’s fist, turning his head so that their lips can meet. Prompto immediately presses his lips to Ignis’s, letting his tongue swirl into his mouth as he continues an even, steady pace on Ignis’s cock. It feels so good like this, working Ignis’s cock as their tongues entangle with each other. Prompto loves touching Ignis,  _ kissing _ Ignis and tasting his tongue -- he’d work Iggy’s cock to completion if he would let him.

Prompto increases the pressure then, squeezing just underneath the tip of Ignis’s cock, where he knows it’s most sensitive. His thumb swipes over the leaking tip, just as he does so, and Ignis  _ arches _ his back beautifully, lips still locked with Prompto’s. Prompto starts to feel Ignis’s cock throbbing against his fingers, slowing his pace just as he gets to the tip again, squeezing his cock  _ hard _ .

“ _ Ah--” _ Ignis moans against Prompto’s lips, shuddering a little.

Prompto grins as he separates their lips slightly, like the noise from Ignis isn’t totally going to make Prompto come in his pants, too. “Yeah? Tell me all about it,” he teases, squeezing Ignis’s cock as he works him slower. “You like it when I touch you like this, nice and slow, baby?”

Ignis presses his lips to Prompto’s again, allowing his teeth to tug on his bottom lip before he responds. “Prompto,  _ please _ ,” he whines. “I need you.”

Prompto continues to stroke Ignis slowly as he kisses him. “I need you so bad, Iggy.” He lets out a shuddering breath. “Want me to get you ready for me, baby?”

Prompto hopes desperately Ignis will say yes. He’s wanted to finger Ignis probably since that one office holiday party where he had a  _ little _ too much rum and eggnog and spent the whole night staring at Ignis’s ass. (Not his finest hour.)

“Yes,” Ignis nearly gasps on one of Prompto’s downstrokes.  _ Jackpot. _ “Bedside drawer, d-darling.”

Prompto reluctantly moves his hand from Ignis’s cock, bowing his head to press a kiss to Ignis’s chest. Ignis hums in approval, slightly more breathless than before. Prompto moves away slightly to reach over to open the drawer as requested. He feels Ignis’s fingers start to unbutton Prompto’s dress shirt, and Prompto giggles at the soft, tickling touch when his shirt parts, exposing his chest and stomach to Ignis. Prompto realizes what Ignis wants out of the drawer as soon as he opens it; the bottle of lube nearly stares him in the face. Prompto grabs it eagerly before rolling back over to Ignis, desperate to press a few more kisses to Ignis’s mouth.

They get carried away with wet, needy kisses for a while, until Prompto hears the sound of Ignis’s belt buckle. Prompto pulls away from the kiss to look down just as Ignis’s fingers gently slide his pants down his legs, kicking them off as they fall to the floor with a forgotten thud.

Prompto laughs as he decaps the lube, pressing another kiss to Ignis’s soft, already-thoroughly-kissed lips. “Little excited, huh, Iggy?”

“Hush, darling,” Ignis teases. “I’ve wanted this for far longer than I’d care to admit.”

Another curl of arousal floods through Prompto, whining a little as his cock, still pressing against his zipper, throbs with neglect.

“Oh, yeah?” Prompto asks, trailing his finger up Ignis’s chest. “You like gettin’ fucked, Iggy?”

Ignis doesn’t answer with words; he grips Prompto’s wrist, bringing Prompto’s middle and index fingers to his mouth to wrap his tongue around them. Prompto groans as Ignis teases his fingers with his tongue until Ignis brings them into his mouth entirely, sucking on them wetly, keeping his eyes locked on Prompto. Prompto could nearly come in his pants right there at the sight -- and at the  _ feeling _ \-- of Ignis’s tongue wrapped around his fingers. Ignis really  _ does _ want this, apparently, and Prompto can’t wait to give it to him.

Ignis releases Prompto’s fingers from his mouth with a smirk. “Touch me, Prompto…”

Prompto lets out a shaky breath, reaching up to untie his bowtie. 

Ignis shakes his head, reaching up to still Prompto’s fingers. “Leave it all on, love. I want to see you like this.”

Prompto bites his lip, knowing he’s probably flushing bright red at this point. He obliges, keeping all of his tuxedo on as he slicks up the very same fingers Ignis had in his mouth with lube. As soon as they’re thoroughly lubricated, Prompto reaches down Ignis’s body, fingers brushing along Ignis’s cock before they find his entrance just underneath. Ignis spreads his legs instinctively, holding his breath, as the pad of one of Prompto’s fingers brushes against the warmth of his entrance. Prompto teases him for a moment, running his finger in a circle around Ignis’s hole.

“Bloody hell,” Ignis whines at the tease. He tries to push forward to take Prompto’s finger inside of him to no avail, but otherwise he takes the tease without complaint, waiting desperately for Prompto to satisfy him. Shit, Ignis is  _ good _ at this; one hand above his head still as the other teases his own nipple gently, his bottom lip tucked in his teeth.

Prompto slides a finger inside of Ignis then, letting the tight heat envelop it as he pushes it all the way inside of him. Prompto watches Ignis close his eyes as he adjusts to the sensation, his thumb brushing against his nipple harder. Ignis’s other hand tightens into a fist as he gasps.

“ _ Astrals, _ yes,” Ignis moans, “Keep going, darling.” He bites his lip again, eyes gently closing in pleasure.

Prompto withdraws the first finger to add another finger inside of Ignis’s tight heat, watching Ignis arch beautifully as Prompto starts to pump his fingers in and out of Ignis’s ass quickly, curling his fingers upwards once he’s knuckles-deep inside of him. He apparently hits his mark, as he watches Ignis’s cock leak precome absolutely  _ untouched _ against his stomach as Prompto’s fingers push against Ignis’s prostate. Ignis lets out a breathless moan, lips parted beautifully as Prompto fingers the most sensitive part of his body.

“You like that, baby?” Prompto groans as he starts to pump his fingers in and out of Ignis faster and faster, pace growing rougher the louder Ignis moans.

“Ah, yes, love, harder,  _ please,” _ Ignis pleads beautifully as he starts to thrust against Prompto’s fingers, gasping when Prompto’s fingers push even deeper inside him.

Ignis locks eyes with Prompto, his entire face flushed with arousal at this point. Ignis looks down at the very obvious tent that Prompto’s pitching in his pants while Prompto fingers him. Ignis reaches over, unzipping him and freeing Prompto’s cock from the pressure of his pants.

Prompto’s fingers inside Ignis still for just a moment when he feels Ignis wrap his hand around his cock, giving him the relief he’s been desperate for. Prompto moans, instantly thrusting into Ignis’s grip as Ignis starts to stroke Prompto’s cock at the same time as they lie next to each other. Prompto starts fingering Ignis harder, adding a third finger to stretch him out as he watches Ignis moan at the feeling, his pace on Prompto’s cock stuttering for a moment. Prompto loves the way Ignis’s body takes him further inside him, like Prompto was meant to fuck him with his fingers. Ignis relaxes so beautifully for him, body pliant and ready for Prompto to touch him. His cock throbs with need, wondering just how well Ignis would take his cock.

“I’m ready, love,  _ please--” _ Ignis gasps, echoing Prompto’s thoughts as he arches his back from Prompto’s fingers. It’s the most desperate he’s sounded all night, and judging by the way his brightly flushed cock leaks precome against his stomach despite being neglected, his body feels that way too. 

Prompto slides his fingers out of Ignis. Ignis lets out a soft whine at the lack of touch. Prompto definitely knows what that feels like, so Prompto turns his head to kiss Ignis again as a reward, their kiss wet and needy as they moan softly into each other’s mouths. Prompto slides his lubricated fingers up to tease Ignis’s cock, not stroking it but gently running his finger along his hard, warm length. Ignis hums in approval against Prompto’s mouth as he gives Prompto’s cock a firm squeeze just under the tip in return.

Prompto moans, loud, at the hard stroke Ignis gives his cock. “Iggy, I c-can’t wait any longer, sh-shit…”

Ignis takes his hand off of Prompto’s cock in favor of gripping the back of Prompto’s head, biting Prompto’s bottom lip again. “Fuck me, Prompto, please.”

It’s not like Prompto’s never heard Ignis say ‘ _ fuck’ _ , but he’s never heard it in a sexual context before, and he all but comes all over Ignis’s hand as soon as he hears Ignis’s plead. Ignis spreads his legs, showing himself off to Prompto, a pleading look in Ignis’s eyes.

Prompto doesn’t hesitate to roll over on top of Ignis dominantly, his hands on either side of Ignis’s body. Ignis smirks up at him as he spreads his legs further to accommodate him. Prompto pauses for a moment just to stare at Ignis underneath him, flushed gently with arousal, practically begging to get fucked and Prompto can’t help but grind against Ignis’s cock one more time.

“No more teases, darling,” Ignis begs, hips rolling forward against Prompto’s cock. “I do believe I told you to  _ fuck _ me.”

Prompto squeezes his eyes closed for a moment, biting his lip. “Shit, you’re so hot when you wanna get fucked, baby.”

Prompto reaches for the lube, pouring a few drops onto his cock to slick it up for Ignis. Prompto sighs when he strokes himself, covering his entire length in lube. He pours a few drops on Ignis’s ass, and Ignis’s breath wavers at the sensation, spreading his legs a little further on instinct. Shit, Ignis is  _ flexible. _ Prompto’s cock throbs at the thought.

Prompto, still thoroughly chewing his lower lip, grips his cock to press the tip against Ignis’s entrance, feeling the warmth of Ignis’s body radiate down his cock already. Ignis whines a bit, looking down at Prompto expectantly.

“ _ Prompto.” _

“Kill a guy for enjoying this view,” Prompto laughs breathlessly, “as soon as I fuck you I’m gonna come, I  _ know _ it--”

Ignis rolls his hips upward instinctively, a desperate groan leaving his lips. “Fuck me, darling, I  _ need _ you.  _ Please. _ ”

Prompto groans, pushing the head of his cock past Ignis’s tight ring of muscle. He’s only halfway inside of Ignis when he moans, the pressure on his dick feeling fucking  _ amazing. _ It’s been a while since he’s  _ not _ been on the receiving end of this and he finds himself instantly pushing himself all the way into the tight heat of Ignis’s ass. 

“Oh, shit,” Prompto gasps once he’s fully inside Ignis. Bottoming out inside Ignis causes Prompto to groan again, the urge to take Ignis until he’s begging for it takes over, his dick throbbing with need.

“ _ Yes,” _ Ignis nearly cries out, arching his back slightly. “Gods above, Prompto, please--”

Ignis doesn’t even have to finish his sentence before Prompto pulls almost entirely out to thrust himself back into him. The way Ignis’s body takes him in makes it easy for Prompto to start rolling his hips forward, finding an even pace to thrust his cock in and out of him. Prompto moans, chasing his own pleasure as he thrusts into him, the tight heat of Ignis surrounding his cock as he feels Ignis writhe underneath him, a series of moans tumbling from Ignis’s mouth.

Ignis bends one of his knees, lifting his leg to rest against Prompto’s hip as he takes Prompto’s thrusts easily. Prompto sees his pretty pink cock leaking against his stomach with every thrust Prompto’s cock delivers to him. Ignis, at some point, tossed his glasses across the bed and has his arm draped across his eyes instead, moaning breathlessly as he rolls his hips forward to meet Prompto’s.

“Baby, let me see you,” Prompto begs breathlessly as hips snap forward relentlessly. Prompto slides his hand up Ignis’s body to tug gently on his wrist. “I wanna see how good you look getting fucked.”

Ignis moans, moving his arm so he can lock eyes with Prompto. He looks thoroughly debauched, his perfect hairstyle from the wedding absolutely  _ ruined _ , wisps of hair falling onto his forehead. His cheeks are flushed with arousal as he gasps, licking his lips and closing his eyes from time to time on particularly rough thrusts.

“Like that, darling, keep going,” Ignis gasps, still gazing up at Prompto desperately.

“You look so good taking my dick, Iggy, shit, look at you,” Prompto praises, his cock still thrusting into Ignis at an unforgiving pace. “That feel good?”

“Y-yes, love, that feels so…  _ ah--” _ Ignis whimpers as Prompto pushes his cock  _ hard _ into Ignis.

Prompto loves how Ignis whimpers for him, body still arching underneath his own. He reaches up to pin Ignis’s arms above his head, wanting to give Ignis  _ everything _ without restraint _ . _ Ignis groans, letting Prompto’s fingers entwine with his as Prompto presses himself on top of Ignis harder. It’s the most intimate thing he’s ever experienced; holding Ignis’s fingers tightly in his own while they fuck, and the thought of that alone has Prompto moaning and grinding into Ignis even harder.

“Prompto,” Ignis gasps, “keep going,  _ yes, _ give it to me--”

Prompto moans at how quickly Ignis has become a wreck underneath him. Prompto keeps up his pace, hips stuttering only slightly from time to time when he feels Ignis clench against his cock, sending a white-hot flash of pleasure through his body. Prompto knows he won’t last long; the way Ignis moves underneath him and the way Ignis’s body all but milks an orgasm from him makes it inevitable. He wishes he could stay like this all day. Watching Ignis get thoroughly fucked -- by him, he might add -- is something he’ll never forget.

“Shit, baby, you’re gonna make me come,” Prompto whines, the pleasure mounting in his stomach, radiating through his whole body. Prompto thrusts his cock hard into Ignis, bottoming out and staying there for a moment just to watch Ignis whine so beautifully.

“Mmm,” Ignis moans, sliding his hand down his body slowly, teasingly as he starts to touch his own cock. Ignis gasps at his own touch as he squeezes the tip of his cock with his thumb and forefinger. “Come inside of me, Prompto darling. Please.”

Prompto looks down, and despite how pretty Ignis looks stroking his own cock, he reaches down and knocks Ignis’s hand off of his cock. “You first, gorgeous,” he teases breathlessly as he takes Ignis’s cock in his hand and starts to stroke.

“Oh, bloody hell,” Ignis gasps at the extra stimulation on his cock. “ _ Prompto…” _

Prompto picks up the pace of his thrusts, fucking Ignis faster and harder as he works Ignis’s cock. Ignis arches his back, eyes rolling up toward the ceiling as he lies back and lets Prompto give everything he has to him. Ignis hitches his other leg around Prompto’s waist, keeping Prompto against him. 

The sight of Ignis is so beautiful, the pressure on Prompto’s cock becomes way too much and he feels his orgasm nearing. Prompto leans in to press his whole body against Ignis, laying on top of him as he starts fucking him from a new angle, his face buried into Ignis’s chest and neck. Prompto pants against him as he grinds into Ignis. Ignis wraps his arms around Prompto to hold him there, thrusting upward to take Prompto’s cock even deeper. The new angle is far too much, and Prompto temporarily lets go of Ignis’s cock to dig his nails into his hip, pinning Ignis against the bed as he gives him all he has.

“I-Iggy,  _ Iggy, _ baby, I’m coming,  _ ngh--” _ Prompto moans as he feels himself come inside of Ignis’s tight heat.

Prompto feels his cock spill his cum inside of Ignis, his thrusts turning a bit erratic as he chases his orgasm. Prompto feels his legs shake a bit with the intensity of it as he moans loudly into Ignis’s neck. He feels Ignis hold him tightly as he fucks his orgasm into Ignis, gasping shakily as he does. 

“Gods, Prompto, that’s… ah…” Ignis moans, his voice starting to tremble.

Prompto’s weight fully on top of Ignis seems to press against Ignis’s already sensitive cock, and Prompto feels Ignis’s toes curl while his legs are still locked around Prompto’s waist. Ignis lets out the softest of gasps when he wordlessly comes hard underneath Prompto. Prompto suddenly feels Ignis’s warm splash of cum between both of their stomachs quickly thereafter. Ignis trembles underneath him, moaning softly as Prompto feels Ignis’s cock gently thrust up against Prompto’s stomach through his orgasm, desperate for more friction. 

“I got you, baby,” Prompto whispers reassuringly, continuing to roll his hips forward for Ignis.

“Mmm, Prompto,  _ please _ ,” Ignis gasps, his voice low and unhurried with pleasure, sounding completely in bliss.

Prompto’s thrusts start to slow as he comes down from his own orgasm, making sure to continue to fuck Ignis gently so Ignis has enough stimulation. Ignis holds onto him tightly, the softest of moans sounding in Prompto’s ear as Ignis slowly returns back to Eos. Prompto moves his head to start pressing kisses to Ignis’s temple as Prompto pulls his softening cock out of Ignis. Ignis sighs at the loss, the noise sounding completely fulfilled. They both pause a moment without saying a word, entirely breathless and spent. Ignis’s hands start exploring Prompto, caressing him with a gentle touch.

Prompto can’t believe Ignis nearly came untouched underneath him, but all he can do is laugh breathlessly as he moves his lips to Ignis’s collarbone, peppering kisses there as well. 

“Something humorous?” Ignis asks breathlessly as he buries his fingers in Prompto’s hair.

Prompto smiles, looking up finally to press a kiss to the corner of his mouth. “Nah, it’s just... you shiver when you come.”

Ignis laughs, a beautiful, carefree sound. Ignis slides his fingers downward to start stroking Prompto’s cheek affectionately. “As do you, my love.”

Prompto laughs along with him, leaning into Ignis’s gentle touch. “Not as much,” he points out. “It’s so sexy, Iggy…” He runs his fingers along Ignis’s chest playfully.

“Mmm, it was my  _ pleasure _ ,” Ignis teases with a wink. 

Prompto laughs as Ignis kisses Prompto’s forehead. Ignis turns his head to reach over and grab the box of tissues on the nightstand.

“Sit up for me? We’ve already sullied these clothes enough,” Ignis murmurs with a soft chuckle. “These will definitely need at  _ least _ one thorough dry-cleaning.”

Prompto sits up, flushing a little at the mess on both Prompto’s and Ignis’s stomach. If he wasn’t so totally spent, he’d definitely get hard all over again at the sight of their stomachs coated with Ignis’s cum. 

“Guess we did,” Prompto says with a sheepish laugh. He grabs some tissues for himself. “Lemme do it, babe.”

“Are you certain?”

“Uh huh.” Prompto smiles.

Prompto gently starts wiping the mess off of Ignis’s stomach first before taking care of his own. Prompto loves how warm Ignis is to touch, gently brushing his fingers along his skin, watching his chest rise and fall as he breathes. He needs another tissue to take care of his own stomach before he gently spreads Ignis’s legs.

Prompto can easily see his own mess starting to leak steadily out of Ignis, and so Prompto brushes a tissue against Ignis’s spread legs as well. Prompto hears Ignis sigh wistfully at the soft touch as Prompto cleans up what he can so they don’t completely mess up Ignis’s bedspread.

Prompto presses himself on top of Ignis again when he’s finished, tossing the used tissues into the garbage. “You okay, Iggy?”

“More than. You’re going to be the death of me,” Ignis teases softly, his arms wrapping around Prompto as he pulls Prompto’s head down for a soft kiss.

They kiss for a while, enjoying each other’s company, not saying a word. Prompto could spend all day kissing Ignis, feeling the brush of his lips against his own, tasting his tongue. Prompto feels so secure when Ignis holds him against him like this, arms encircled around Prompto’s waist.

“I love you,” Ignis whispers against Prompto’s lips after a while, “dearly.”

“I love you too, Iggy. Not too bad for our wedding night, huh?” Prompto laughs softly.

“It was breathtaking. You were utterly perfect,” Ignis promises, pressing another kiss to Prompto’s mouth. “I do believe I should shower before we retire for the evening. You’ve made quite a mess of me.” He smirks.

Prompto grins. “Yeah, I did.” He presses himself further into Ignis’s warmth. “Want me to join?”

Ignis continues to stroke Prompto’s cheek, staring at him for a moment before responding. “That sounds rather grand.”

Prompto’s  _ way _ too tired to fool around in the shower, but it’s nice being close to Ignis like this. He helps Ignis clean up, washing his hair again gently, both of them laughing to themselves. Prompto knew he’d probably grow closer to Ignis after all this, but he’d never dreamt it’d be like this. Prompto feels so content right now. He could probably blame it on post-coital high, but he knows it’s more than that.

Prompto sighs happily when they settle into bed, nestling against Ignis’s chest. He listens to Ignis’s gentle heartbeat, and he sighs again.

“Something on your mind, love?” Ignis murmurs, fingers running through Prompto’s wet hair.

“Sucks we gotta go to work tomorrow. It’s been so nice spending time with you,” Prompto says. “I’m gonna miss seein’ your gorgeous face all day.”

“Indeed, but I will make time for you throughout our day. And you have an exciting new job to look forward to.”

Prompto smiles, excited to start his first day as a magazine photographer. “Yeah, that’s true. But still… gonna miss you.”

Ignis chuckles. “Would you care to go out for lunch with me tomorrow, then?” 

Prompto lifts his head to peck him on the lips. “Hell yeah, Igster. That sounds perfect.”

“Then we can head home for supper, cook a decent meal, and you can have me to yourself all night long…” Ignis murmurs suggestively. “How does that sound?”

“Gods, don’t get me started… might not be able to wait ‘til the end of the day. Might just come find you in your office and have my way with you,” Prompto groans, hovering a half an inch above Ignis’s lips. 

Ignis smirks. “Mmm, now there’s quite a thought, love.”

Prompto sighs. “I don’t think I’m ever gonna get enough of you.”

Ignis smiles beautifully, long eyelashes brushing against his high cheekbones. “It’s rather convenient that we’re married then, is it not?”

Prompto closes the distance between their mouths again, lingering a bit longer than his previous chaste kiss. Ignis holds him tighter, humming contentedly against Prompto’s lips.

“Yeah, Iggy. It’s perfect.”

\-----

Prompto wakes up feeling refreshed, having woken up in Ignis’s arms with plenty of time to run on Iggy’s treadmill and shower afterwards. Despite being bitter about having to work after having such an amazing long weekend with Ignis, he’s excited to start his first photoshoot for  _ Glaive _ magazine. 

Prompto can’t seem to keep the smile off of his face when he heads into his usual coffee shop, knowing that both he and Ignis can’t survive work days without coffee.

His usual barista throws him a suggestive smile when he sees him, perking up instantly. “Hey, look, it’s Prompto! Thought somethin’ happened to you, haven’t seen you all week!”

Prompto flushes, remembering that the barista wrote his phone number on one of the last coffees that he ordered. The guy’s sweet and easy on the eyes, but Prompto doesn’t have the heart to tell the guy that his heart belongs to only Ignis.

“Yeah, I was on a little vacation,” Prompto says vaguely.

“Oh, I gotcha. I can tell. You look super good,” the barista responds with a wider smile. “Your usual?”

Prompto rubs the back of his neck awkwardly at the compliment. “Uh huh. Some Ebony too, of course, please?”

The barista nods. “You got it, dude! Peace offering for your boss again?”

Prompto can’t help but laugh. “My husband, actually,” he says a little proudly.

As if on cue, Ignis makes his way over to the counter, wrapping his arms around Prompto from behind, placing a kiss on his temple. “Would you kindly throw in some of those pastries, as well? We’ve had a rather busy morning.”

Prompto’s flush deepens involuntarily. The only reason their morning was ‘busy’ was because Ignis got Prompto ready for the day by sliding underneath the covers and sucking him off --  _ incredibly, _ he might add. Prompto, of course, didn’t let Ignis move a muscle off of the bed until he let him return the favor, rendering them unable to have time for Iggy to cook a proper breakfast. Prompto totally does  _ not _ wanna sport a boner thinking about  _ that  _ in the middle of this coffee shop, so he focuses on the barista instead.

The disappointment in the barista’s eyes is all too apparent, and Prompto feels kinda bad for the guy. Still, it feels nice to be in Ignis’s arms again, so he doesn’t move at all, leaning back into Ignis’s comforting embrace.

“I guess that calls for congratulations!” the barista says as he gets the pastries for them and puts them in a bag, reading off their total. 

Ignis pays for everything without even allowing Prompto to argue, as per usual. “My thanks,” Ignis remarks as he grabs the drinks for the both of them.

“Yeah. Thanks, man. See you tomorrow, probably,” Prompto says with a laugh.

The barista nods, the disappointment slowly fading from his features. “See you around.”

Ignis laughs once they settle into his car. “I do believe that man was rather disappointed with your announcement.”

Prompto feels his cheeks heat up again. “Um… yeah, maybe… he kinda wrote his number on my cup last time I was here.” He snorts. “Poor dude.”

“Is that so?” Ignis says, tone far from neutral. “I do hope I won’t have to fight for your hand.”

Prompto throws his head back and laughs. “No competition, Igster. But, uh, you’re  _ totally _ welcome to come get coffee with me every morning if you’re gonna hold me like you did back there...” he suggests, reaching over to hold Ignis’s hand affectionately.

Ignis smiles, bringing Prompto’s hand to his lips and kissing it. “Duly noted, my love.”

Prompto grins, greedily holding Ignis’s hand all the way to work. If marriage to Ignis would always be like this, he definitely can manage that.


	15. Epilogue

The past six months have quite literally flown by for Ignis. He’s not been this happy in his entire life now that he has Prompto. Everything seems to be settled in quite nicely for him as soon as they got married. He’s learned from Prompto to make time for things other than work, and Ignis finds himself flourishing at his job even more than he had before. He hosts alongside Prompto regular dinner parties with Gladio, Noct, Lunafreya (and Crowe, her wife), and even Ravus from time to time. He winds down Friday evenings at Noct’s home with Prompto and Gladio to play card games and have a bottle of wine (Prompto doesn’t allow him to work late on the weekends any longer, and Ignis is all the more grateful for it). He and Prompto spend every Sunday either curled up in bed for most of the day, on a day trip to markets downtown, or even out to the country for Prompto to take photographs.

Ignis could hardly ask for anything better.

Despite how lovely things seem to be going, Ignis can’t help but let his mind wander during quiet moments alone in his office. Everything seems to remind him of Prompto; the digital photo frame on his desk filled with pictures of the two of them (or sometimes just Prompto, per Ignis’s insistence), that bloody awful chocobo trinket Prompto bought for him in Lestallum, the post-it notes filled with adorable doodles and words of encouragement from Prompto that Ignis refuses to throw away. 

Ignis really does miss Prompto working by his side at every waking moment. Certainly, Prompto is happier than ever with his photography position, and Ignis wouldn’t change that for the world. However, Ignis finds himself itching to go across the hall to Prompto’s old office, hoping that for some reason he’d still be there.

Prompto’s studio is only a few floors below Ignis, and Prompto finds excuses to come see him far too much per day -- not that Ignis is complaining. It isn’t as if Ignis doesn’t find himself in the photography studio looking for Prompto during the lulls in  _ his _ work day -- not that he has many, with how busy he usually finds himself.

This would be the rare exception, Ignis finding himself at a loss for something to do while he waits for his weekly deadline meeting for the magazine. He’s got about a half an hour; not nearly enough time to find Prompto and spend enough time with him. There’s never enough time with Prompto, and the man’s moved into his flat full-time with him. Ignis supposes that’s a rather good thing, especially after all these months.

However, today marks the first official month that Prompto, should he decide to, could divorce Ignis -- legally -- and Ignis would still be able to retain his citizenship regardless. It’s been a notion that’s worried his mind quite often lately. Prompto’s given him no indication, of course, that he intends to lessen or demote their relationship in any way, but Ignis has a tendency to be a bit irrational at times. This is certainly one of those times.

The legal aspect of their marriage had gone swimmingly, if Ignis is honest. The citizenship marriage interview went perfectly, something that Prompto decided was merely because they actually  _ are _ in love with each other, and learned all of those interview questions very easily due to that. (The immigration agents only asked them both about ten questions each. It seems the two of them over-prepared quite a bit, much to Prompto’s embarrassment and Ignis’s amusement.) 

As for the social aspect of their marriage, well; Ignis never really thought he’d be one to fall in love, at least not like  _ this _ . He’d certainly had fleeting infatuations and lust, of course, but never anything he thought he’d settle into, crave, want, or even  _ need. _ Ignis isn’t really used to needing anything, but he finds himself needing Prompto -- better yet, he  _ wants _ Prompto. All the time. He only desperately hopes that Prompto feels the same. Judging by the way Prompto lights up every time he enters the room, or sounds so utterly happy -- even on bad days -- whenever Ignis calls him, Ignis can only guess that Prompto feels similarly.

Ignis can’t quite believe six months have passed. He didn’t waste those months, not at all, but Ignis wants more, he  _ needs _ more. 

It seems like yesterday when they’d kissed for the first time, Ignis’s heart racing in his chest when he realized just how soft Prompto’s lips are, when he’d met Prompto’s family and found himself at home in Lestallum with them. It seems like yesterday when Prompto sat on his lap like he belonged there and swore it wouldn’t look quite right if they didn’t kiss. It seems like yesterday when he found himself teaching Prompto to dance just to be closer to the man, and wanting to press kisses along every single one of his freckles as he laughed. It seems like yesterday when Ignis realized how hopelessly and utterly in love with Prompto he is; seeing Prompto look absolutely breathtaking in his wedding tuxedo, flushing and nervous as if this was something they’d wanted for a long time, as if the wedding itself was much more than a legal contract to keep Ignis in the country.

They’d been fooling themselves to think that the wedding wasn’t anything special. Ignis knew it when he slid the ring on Prompto’s finger, when he promised to love him no matter what, when they’d made love to each other with their wedding attire mostly on still -- unable to take the time to properly undress simply because they couldn’t get enough of each other, when they’d spent most of their honeymoon in Altissia unable to leave the hotel suite bed save for meals and brief excursions. (Altissia was beautiful, but Prompto’s beauty far surpassed it and then some.)

Ignis loves Prompto so much he can’t even think properly on most days. Ignis’s heart would shatter if Prompto decided he wanted space to breathe now that he  _ legally _ doesn’t have to be married to him anymore.

Obviously, this is something he needs to bring up to Prompto instead of worrying away his bottom lip like a fool, but yet, here Ignis is, never seeming to do the most logical thing when it comes to Prompto, ever. When did he become so bloody foolish?

Ignis startles when he hears a brief knock at his office door, turning his head to find Prompto standing in the doorway, camera strap around his neck, holding a cupcake in his hand with a tiny smirk.

Ignis’s heart thuds with affection.

“Heyaz, baby! So... one of my clients brought these, like, gluten-free cupcakes and I dunno, they’re still hella delicious, so what kinda husband would I  _ be _ if I didn’t bring one to you?” Prompto teases as he practically skips across the room. He sets the cupcake on Ignis’s desk, sitting on the edge of the desk right next to it as he looks over at Ignis. “I know, I know, I’m the best husband ever, you don’t gotta tell me.”

Ignis smiles up at him, outstretching his arms so that Prompto can take the invitation to sit on his lap. His anxiety makes him want to be even closer to Prompto than usual, if possible.

“You truly are the best husband a man could ask for,” Ignis promises with a bit more gravitas than the playful conversation warrants.

Prompto doesn’t hesitate to take the invitation, hopping off of his desk to sit on Ignis’s lap, fitting perfectly in his outstretched arms. Prompto nuzzles in closer, legs dangling diagonally as Prompto shifts to try to face Ignis adorably. Ignis smiles at the attempt, pulling Prompto in for a soft kiss.

“You havin’ a bad day? You got that constipated look on your face again,” Prompto teases.

“I’m quite alright, love,” Ignis lies, like the damn fool he is. “And your day thus far?”

Prompto starts peppering kisses all over Ignis’s face, causing Ignis to laugh. Prompto’s words are mumbled, his lips pressed against Ignis’s cheek still. “Nuh uh, don’t gimme that. I know somethin’s up. You don’t gotta talk to me, but… I love you.”

Ignis smiles, knowing that no matter what, Prompto has the biggest heart than anyone he’s ever come in contact with. Even if Prompto wants some space after all this, he knows Prompto wouldn’t entirely abandon him.

“I love you dearly,” Ignis promises, his voice a bit emotional. Ignis reaches up to trace the soft skin of Prompto’s cheek with a wistful sigh.

“Baby,” Prompto whispers. “Talk to me? Did I do something wrong?”

Leave it to Prompto to think  _ he’s _ done something wrong, of course. Ignis pulls him higher up on his lap, securing his arms around him tighter.

“Heavens no. The opposite, in fact,” Ignis promises. He lets out a soft sigh, knowing he needs to come clean regarding his anxieties, not wanting Prompto to fret. “I do realize our… grace period for our wedding is over, and you… aren’t required to be married to me any longer. My citizenship is safe.”

Prompto stiffens in Ignis’s arms, almost entirely rigid. Prompto tries to slide off of Ignis’s lap, but Ignis tightens his grip to keep him there. Prompto gives in, not attempting to leave any longer.

“Um, yeah. I haven’t thought about that,” Prompto says weakly, and Ignis can tell it’s a lie. “I guess you have.”

Ignis can tell a misunderstanding is starting to form, or at least it feels like one, judging by the sadness that creeps into Prompto’s tone.

“Yes, I… have,” Ignis explains.

Before Ignis can take a breath to explain further, Prompto’s already started speaking faster than he can keep up with, avoiding Ignis’s gaze and still stiff in his arms. “O-oh, right! That’s okay, Igster, um, if you wanna, like, get divorced and be like normal, that’s okay! I mean, are you… are we… is this, um, ending, or--” Prompto’s tone is of self-sacrificing faux-happiness and Ignis can’t bear to let him continue, especially when Prompto’s voice wavers as he said ‘ending’.

“Prompto,” Ignis nearly gasps, practically crushing Prompto to his chest, pressing no less than five kisses to the top of his head. “I don’t want any of this to end. At all. It’s why I’m quite worried, you see, as I assumed you would want freedom -- which is entirely alright, I assure you. I’m very much in love with you, Prompto, I won’t lie about that, but I also can admit the circumstances in which we are legally bound to each other was not about love to begin with, and I wish you to be comfortable, and happy, always.”

“Maybe it didn’t start with love but it ended that way,” Prompto says firmly, almost stubbornly. “I  _ am _ happy and comfy. You thought… I wasn’t?”

“No, I… I know how happy we’ve been. I’ve been dreading this deadline for quite some time, as I know you have every right to take freedom for yourself. I’ve been quite selfish with you, and I promise you--”

“Iggy, I have freedom and happiness  _ because  _ I have you,” Prompto cuts him off, sliding his arms around Ignis’s neck. “I love you. You’re the best fucking thing that’s ever happened to me.” He laughs nervously. “Gods, babe, you scared the  _ shit _ out of me.”

Ignis lets out a soft laugh of pure relief. He feels the leftover adrenaline course through his body, his heart rate starting to calm. “I scare myself far more, I assure you,” he says. “I apologize for my improper wording.”

Prompto leans into him, nestling his face between Ignis’s shoulder and his neck, placing soft kisses against Ignis’s racing pulse. It never fails to cause Ignis to shudder, calming him more effectively than anything. Ignis sighs gently, holding Prompto tightly against him as Prompto’s kisses continue unrelentlessly against his neck.

“It’s not your fault I jumped to conclusions, babe. How long have you been worried about this?” Prompto whispers against Ignis’s neck.

Ignis feels his cheeks heat up with a rather embarrassing flush. “It matters not, truly.”

“ _ Igster,” _ Prompto warns teasingly, “how long?”

Ignis sighs in defeat. “No longer than two months, I assure you.”

“Babe!” Prompto gasps, sitting up slightly to look into his eyes with his beautiful blue ones, completely shocked. “ _ Two _ months?! I thought  _ I _ was bad just for worrying about it all  _ this  _ month.”

Ignis tucks his bottom lip between his teeth, gnawing on it sheepishly before responding. “I don’t believe you’re aware of how fond I am of you.”

Before Prompto’s beautiful responding grin can leave Ignis breathless, he surges over to capture Ignis’s lips with his own. “I love you,” Prompto murmurs against Ignis’s lips. “I love you, I love you, I love you.”

Ignis responds with yet another kiss as he laughs, slower this time, enjoying the moment. “And I love you.”

Prompto keeps that beautiful smile. “Good. ‘Cause I got a surprise for you. Well, two, actually.  _ Other _ than my cupcake. Gods, aren’t you lucky?” he teases.

“I am,” Ignis interrupts him to confirm, tucking a lock of Prompto’s hair behind his ear. 

Prompto snorts, rolling his eyes. “I’m joking, and you’re  _ totes _ biased. Anyway, what are you doing later tonight? For dinner?”

“Not at  _ all _ biased.” Ignis smiles. “Well, nothing apart from what I usually do with you. Why do you ask, love?”

Prompto bites his lip before responding, a gentle flush residing on his beautiful features. Ignis wishes he could capture that sight always. “Uhhh, no biggie, just wanted to ask you somethin’, y’know, and I wanted it to be special and stuff, so… I wanted to take you out to dinner tonight.”

Ignis raises an eyebrow, sliding his hand up to rest in Prompto’s hair, gently carding his finger through the soft blonde strands. “Oh? And what’s this all about?”

Prompto lets a wistful sigh escape his lips at Ignis’s touch, leaning into his fingers. He opens his eyes, searching Ignis’s gently. Ignis quite loves when Prompto gazes at him like this. “Well, you were worried about…  _ us _ , y’know, and I was actually planning this for a while, believe it or not, so… you wanna go to dinner with me tonight? I’ll be  _ hella _ charming. Sweep you off your pretty, well-dressed feet, dude!” 

Ignis laughs. “You already are charming, my love, but I’m  _ very _ curious, seeing as we’re already married. I would love to accompany you to dinner always, Prompto.”

“There’s more to romance than just  _ marriage _ !” Prompto teases, reaching up to hold Ignis’s hand against his head. Prompto leans in toward Ignis’s ear then, and Ignis feels the sharp rise of goosebumps on his flesh as Prompto’s warm breath caresses his ear. “ _ Lots _ more…”

Prompto’s tucks Ignis’s earlobe between his teeth and tugs. Ignis hums in approval, tilting his head for Prompto to have better access. They shouldn’t be doing this right now; Ignis has a meeting soon and his bloody office door isn’t even locked, but Ignis can’t seem to stop. Ignis holds Prompto against him tighter, feeling himself start to get aroused at the simplest of Prompto’s teasing touches.

“Careful, darling, don’t start what you cannot finish…” Ignis purrs.

“Mmm,” Prompto hums, peppering kisses along Ignis’s cheekbone. He captures Ignis’s lips with his own, and Ignis is all too happy to receive him, sighing pleasurably when Prompto swirls his tongue into Ignis’s mouth. “‘Bout that other present I have for you… you can have it right now, if you want, baby…”

Ignis lets out half of a groan, his cock responding thoroughly to Prompto’s teases. Prompto tends to reserve  _ ‘baby’ _ for the bedroom, knowing it drives Ignis absolutely  _ wild _ to be called by such an endearment. It’s been a while since they’d had a quickie in the office, and Ignis’s longing for the man seems to be set on high today. Perhaps just a  _ bit _ of touching wouldn’t hurt -- a bit.

“And what present might that be?” Ignis asks. He kisses Prompto’s mouth again, letting his teeth graze against Prompto’s bottom lip. “I’ve a meeting in twenty…”

“Plenty of time.” Prompto laughs, his voice low and teasing as his hand starts to explore a bit, sliding down Ignis’s chest. He takes Ignis’s wrist, guiding it to the buttons on Prompto’s dress shirt. “Gloves off, Iggy. Want you to feel your present before you see it.”

Ignis feels his cock start to press against the zipper of his trousers at Prompto’s words, starting to need attention at this point. Ignis likes this, though; the teasing, the waiting for pleasure. He’d have Prompto tease him all bloody day if he had the time.

Ignis raises an eyebrow as he pulls his gloves off with his teeth. “Oh?” Ignis asks teasingly, tossing his gloves on the desk.

“Uh huh.” Prompto grins, taking a hold of Ignis’s wrist again once his gloves are off. Ignis lets Prompto lead, as Prompto places Ignis’s hand just at the bottom of Prompto’s shirt. “Touch me, Iggy.”

Ignis obliges, sliding his fingers under Prompto’s dress shirt -- conveniently black today so that Ignis can’t tell what’s under it -- and his fingers immediately touch lace, and soft silk just underneath, tight against Prompto’s stomach. Ignis’s cock stirs even further.

“Is this…” Ignis nearly moans, reaching as far up Prompto’s shirt that he can. Prompto’s shirt untucks all the way, revealing bright red lace against the pale complexion of his stomach. “Oh,  _ bloody hell, _ Prompto, twenty minutes is not going to be enough…”

Prompto laughs, biting his lip on his grin as soon as Ignis’s fingers run along the thin lace material. “Guess you’re gonna have to fuck me nice and hard and  _ fast, _ huh, baby?”

Ignis’s cock certainly reacts to  _ that. _ Ignis groans softly, feeling his arousal press up against Prompto as he’s on his lap. “Mmm, darling...” he moans, arousal winning out over logic as he starts unbuttoning Prompto’s dress shirt.

“Yeah? You wanna see me?” Prompto asks, helping Ignis unbutton his shirt. 

“Bloody hell,  _ yes, _ ” Ignis nearly begs -- he’s not beyond it. “Stand in front of me, won’t you?”

Prompto lets out a soft whine, the front of his own trousers showing a clear outline of Prompto’s hard cock. He stands up to face Ignis as he peels off his shirt. “I’ve been wearing it  _ all _ day for you, Iggy.”

Prompto’s wearing a lace corset, silk bows on his hips attached to silk straps that dip down underneath his pants, just where his cock is hidden. Ignis groans, reaching out to slide his hand up Prompto’s stomach until he reaches his chest, gently brushing his thumb along Prompto’s lace-covered nipple. Prompto lets out a soft gasp at the sensation, leaning into Ignis’s touch.

“Allow me to see the rest…?” Ignis asks, unable to keep his hands off of Prompto.

Prompto flushes beautifully, looking over at Ignis’s office door. “Want me to lock it?”

Ignis smirks, knowing how much Prompto loves fucking him when anyone could walk right in. “Not unless if you desire it, love…” he purrs, sliding his hand down Prompto’s body until it reaches Prompto’s trousers. Ignis runs his finger along the outline of Prompto’s cock hidden behind the fabric.

Prompto moans, shakily reaching for his belt buckle as Ignis teases Prompto’s cock. “I’ve been half-hard all day thinking of you seeing me in this.”

Ignis locks eyes with him, his cock aching in his trousers at this point. “You look utterly mouthwatering, my love. Take off your trousers.”

Prompto unzips himself, sliding his pants down his legs to reveal the rest of the bright red lingerie. The corset’s satin garter straps secure a pair of lace stockings to it, and garter belts are snapped against Prompto’s freckled thighs. Prompto wears a thin pair of lace panties that match, just above the garter belts, the front of which has nothing but a tiny satin bow tied just in front of his hard cock. Prompto’s arousal looks beautiful against the lace of the panties, flushed almost as red as the lace as it’s trapped against his stomach, the panties keeping his cock on display rather nicely. The head of his cock peeks out from the panties completely uncovered against his half-bare midriff before the corset begins.

Ignis can’t help but moan, staring at Prompto for what feels like an hour. Ignis immediately slides his hands down to Prompto’s thighs, Prompto letting out a soft whine as he does. Ignis tucks a finger underneath the garter belt and pulls it away from Prompto’s skin only to release it, snapping it against his freckled thigh. Prompto gasps, leaning back against Ignis’s desk to display himself further.

“Do you like your present, Iggy?” Prompto taunts, sliding his own hand down his body to hover over his own cock.

Ignis is nearly desperate to have his cock inside Prompto at this point. Ignis takes his free hand to palm at his own cock for some relief, letting out a soft breath. “Astrals above, Prompto.”

“You wanna fuck me, don’t you, baby?” Prompto asks, letting his fingers ghost along the length of his cock trapped underneath the lacy panties. His eyes close for a moment, enjoying the soft teasing sensation. “Wanna ruin this lingerie, huh?”

_ “Yes, _ ” Ignis moans. “Come here, darling.  _ Now.” _

Prompto whimpers as Ignis grips Prompto’s hips and forces him toward him. Prompto’s hands immediately tangle in Ignis’s hair as Ignis’s head dips down low, mouth hovering over Prompto’s cock, his warm breath coating the uncovered tip.

“Oh, shit,” Prompto gasps, hips pressing forward. “ _ Please.” _

It’s all the permission Ignis needs before his tongue darts out and licks a slow stripe against Prompto’s panties until his tongue reaches the head of Prompto’s cock. He takes Prompto’s leaking tip and pulls it into his mouth, sucking long and hard on the warmth of Prompto’s arousal.

Prompto whines, fingers in Ignis’s hair tightening. “Oh,  _ Gods _ , Iggy, please… just a little more… taste me, baby.”

Ignis loves how desperate and needy Prompto gets as soon as he’s aroused enough. Ignis indulges him, hollowing his cheeks as he takes as much of Prompto’s cock into his mouth as he can without the panties interfering. Ignis tugs on them, slowly pulling the lace down Prompto’s length so he can free Prompto’s cock.

“Ngh, that feels…  _ ah--” _ Prompto’s cut off as Ignis takes the rest of Prompto’s length down his throat, now that he’s freed Prompto’s arousal from the panties.

Ignis bobs his head, keeping a steady pace with his mouth on Prompto’s cock. He tastes the way Prompto leaks salty precome onto his tongue, and he looks up to lock eyes with Prompto, a smirk in his eyes as he continues to suck on Prompto’s cock, swirling his tongue around the hard flesh. 

Prompto starts caressing Ignis’s hair, hips rolling forward against Ignis’s mouth. “Fuck yes, baby, that taste g-good?” he moans.

Ignis’s own cock is so hard that it hurts at this point. Ignis moans against Prompto’s length, and at this point he doesn’t even care if Prompto comes in his mouth. All he wants right now is Prompto, hearing his beautiful moans as he keeps the man’s arousal heavy on his tongue.

“Iggy, want you to fuck me, right against your desk,” Prompto gasps as Ignis sucks on him particularly hard. “Want you to fill me up and feel you in me the rest of the day. Wanna feel it in my lingerie, baby, please…”

Ignis groans, nearly coming in his pants at the mental image of that. Now that Prompto has presented it, it’s all he can think of. Ignis pulls his mouth off of Prompto’s cock, stopping to pepper petal-soft kisses along the length of Prompto’s cock. Prompto hums at the sensation, letting Ignis take his time as he does it.

“As long as you promise not to take this off until we get home,” Ignis purrs, voice a bit rough from taking Prompto’s cock in his mouth. “Leave it on  _ all _ day for me.”

“I p-promise.  _ Please,” _ Prompto moans.

“Mmm, now, care to show me how pretty you look when you take my cock out?” Ignis teases, knowing how much it arouses Prompto to hear filthy words out of Ignis’s mouth.

“Uh huh,” Prompto breathes. “Gonna make you feel so good, Iggy.”

Of that, Ignis has no doubt. He’s practically made a mess of his trousers already. Prompto leans in to capture Ignis’s lips with his, and Ignis can’t resist sliding his tongue in the other man’s mouth as Prompto works his zipper. Ignis moans against Prompto’s mouth as he feels Prompto wrap a hand around Ignis’s cock, pulling it out of his boxers eagerly.

As they break their kiss, Ignis watches as Prompto starts to work Ignis’s cock with his fingers. Ignis groans, throwing his head back as Prompto finally starts to alleviate the ache in his neglected arousal. Prompto looks so thoroughly debauched already; his hair askew, lace panties rolled down to expose his cock, his whole body nearly flushed with arousal. Ignis wants to give him everything he wants; he wants to fuck Prompto so hard the entire floor can hear his beautiful mewls as he comes all over Ignis’s desk. Ignis gasps as he starts to fuck himself into Prompto’s grip, cock throbbing at the thought.

“Mmm, darling,” Ignis moans. “Turn around for me. We need to hurry.”

As if Ignis would even  _ consider _ pushing this gift away for something as silly as a damn work meeting. He’ll spend all day burying his cock inside Prompto, and there isn’t a bloody thing anyone can do about it. 

Prompto smirks, looking over at Ignis. His beautiful cornflower irises are nearly invisible, pupils dilated almost fully with arousal. “Gonna unwrap your present, baby?” Prompto purrs. 

Prompto turns around, bending forward a bit to show off his ass. He reaches around to squeeze his own ass, showing off for Ignis, slapping it right in front of him. Ignis moans, cock pressing insistently against his own stomach as he leans forward to kiss where Prompto’s slapped. Prompto whines as he’s pushed forward against the desk, letting Ignis do whatever he’d like to him. If there’s one thing he’s learned about Prompto, it’s that he absolutely loves giving Ignis reign to do absolutely anything to him. Ignis loves pleasuring Prompto, taking the time to tease him. Ignis starts peppering kisses along his panties until Ignis is gently spreading Prompto’s legs, his tongue darting out to press against Prompto’s entrance through the lacy fabric of the panties.

“Iggy,” Prompto gasps, spreading his legs further. “ _ Shit _ .”

Ignis experimentally laps his tongue against the fabric of the lace, swirling his tongue around Prompto’s entrance, the panties keeping him from giving Prompto the pleasure that he  _ really _ wants. Prompto absolutely groans, fingers digging into the edge of Ignis’s desk as Prompto bends forward more, presenting himself to Ignis further. 

Ignis reaches out to gently slap Prompto’s ass encouragingly, chuckling against the lace on his lips. “I could do this nearly  _ all _ day,” Ignis promises.

“Y-you’re gonna be late for your meeting, babe,” Prompto gasps. “Don’t you wanna show me how good I look…?”

“Mmm,” Ignis hums, moving his mouth off of Prompto’s ass. He reaches in his desk drawer to find lubricant that he keeps here for quickies with Prompto, and squeezes some onto his palm. “I love how impatient you are, darling. Stay just like that for me, won’t you?”

Prompto huffs out an impatient whine as Ignis starts slicking up his cock with lube, preparing himself to fuck Prompto. Ignis keeps his eyes on Prompto as he starts to stroke himself, the sight of Prompto splayed against his own desk with his ass out to Ignis causes his cock to absolutely throb against his fingers. Ignis moans as he touches himself, especially as Prompto looks over his shoulder to watch, biting his lip in anticipation.

“C’mon, baby,” Prompto begs, his voice a low whine. “ _ Ruin _ me. C’mon.”

Once Ignis has thoroughly slicked up his cock, Ignis lets go of himself in favor of standing up to press himself against Prompto. Prompto whines at the sensation of Ignis’s cock gently teasing him through the lace panties.

Ignis leans over Prompto, his mouth at the back of Prompto’s neck as he keeps Prompto from hardly moving. “What were you going to ask me at dinner tonight, darling?”

Prompto giggles, voice heavy with arousal. “It’s a surprise, baby, now  _ fuck _ me.”

“Mmm, yes, perhaps I’ll reward those darling little whines,” Ignis whispers.

Ignis straightens up just enough to reach down and slide Prompto’s panties to the side, keeping them on Prompto firmly but exposing Prompto just enough to slide his cock in between Prompto’s ass without barrier. Prompto gasps as Ignis pushes his cock inside of Prompto swiftly, his entrance still prepared from early morning sex they had before work.

It’s a rather beautiful sight; Prompto lets out a soft moan as he arches his back, pushing backward gently to take more of Ignis’s cock inside of him.

“ _ Yes, _ Iggy, holy shit,” Prompto moans. “I’ve been thinkin’ ‘bout this all day, baby.”

Ignis bottoms out inside of Prompto, letting the heat of Prompto’s entrance engulf his cock as he rolls his hips forward. The motion pushes Prompto against his desk further, and Ignis starts to really pick up the pace at the sight, fucking him nice and hard against Ignis’s desk as he grips Prompto's hips tightly, fingers digging into the red lace. Prompto gasps and whines underneath him, gripping Ignis’s desk tightly as he spreads his legs further for Ignis, practically drooling into the desk.

“You look so breathtaking when you take me like this,” Ignis moans, breathing a bit labored from the brutal pace that he’s thrusting into Prompto. “Astrals, look at you.”

Prompto responds with a soft whimper, gripping Ignis’s desk so tightly that his fingers are red. Prompto turns his head to the side, looking over his shoulder at Ignis. Their eyes lock as Ignis fucks into him. “You feel so good, I-Iggy... you like your present, baby?” he taunts, taking Ignis’s fast pace easily. “You like fucking me when I wear this?”

Ignis pushes his cock inside Prompto harder, stilling his hips for a moment as he keeps his cock fully inside of Prompto. “I could stay buried inside you, just like this, all bloody day,” he moans.

Prompto moans. “Please…” he begs. “I-Iggy, I wanna tell you.”

Ignis starts to move again, thrusting harder into Prompto. “Then tell me, love…”

“Can’t,” Prompto pants, pushing backward to start fucking himself on Ignis’s cock. “It’s a surprise.”

Ignis slides his arms around Prompto’s front, pulling him off of the desk. Ignis takes a seat onto his office chair, pulling Prompto with him. Prompto shudders at the position change, gripping the armrests tightly as he arches his back, sinking down onto Ignis’s cock once more. Ignis groans, the pressure around his cock indescribable as he feels himself close to coming. The silk panties brush against his cock with every thrust, driving Ignis wild.

“Ride me, love,” Ignis begs. “Show me how beautiful you look.”

Prompto moans, starting to move his hips as he bounces himself on Ignis’s cock with his back to Ignis, feet firmly planted on the floor as they’re spread to accommodate Ignis’s girth inside of him. He throws his head back as he fucks himself on Ignis’s cock, and Ignis feels his orgasm nearing just at the sight of him, the lace on the garter belts gently brushing against Ignis every time Prompto moves upward on his cock.

“Sh-shit, Iggy, touch me, I wanna come…” Prompto groans. “I wanna come for you, baby, I’m so hard, I’m so--”

Ignis groans, thrusting upward into Prompto unexpectedly roughly, Prompto’s begging a bit too much for Ignis to handle. Ignis wraps his arm around Prompto’s front, finding Prompto’s cock easily as he wraps his hand around it, not stroking quite yet.

“I’ll touch you if you tell me…” Ignis teases into Prompto’s ear, thrusting up harder into him. “Allow me to reward you…?”

Prompto barks out a breathless laugh, grinding down hard on Ignis’s cock. “N-not fair, baby,” Prompto whines.

Ignis teases him with one long, hard stroke. Prompto shudders, the movement of his hips growing more and more erratic the harder Ignis squeezes his cock.

“Please, my love… you can tell me,” Ignis urges, starting to thrust his own pace into Prompto. He starts to stroke Prompto’s cock slowly as a reward regardless, pumping Prompto’s cock with his fist.

“Gods, Iggy, don’t stop, baby,” Prompto whines. “W-wanted to… ah,  _ fuck--” _

Ignis chuckles, groaning when Prompto clenches against his cock. “Keep going, darling, tell me?”

Ignis rewards Prompto with faster, harder strokes. He can feel Prompto’s cock throbbing beautifully under his touch, knowing Prompto’s about to come regardless.

“Ah, I’m… I want to renew our vows,” Prompto barks out, so delirious with wanting an orgasm that he doesn’t even try to fight it. “I wanna stay married, baby, I love you…”

Ignis stills his strokes on Prompto’s cock. Prompto absolutely  _ whines _ , feeling Prompto writhe on his lap, trying to fuck into Ignis’s fist himself.

“I love you,” Ignis murmurs, the pleasure in his groin starting to grow and grow. “Yes, I would love to remain your husband, with a new ceremony, with our own vows, darling, as long as it is what you want.”

“Y-yeah, it’s what I want,” Prompto begs. “Iggy,  _ touch _ me, I  _ need _ you.”

“Oh, my darling boy,” Ignis purrs affectionately, rewarding Prompto again with hard, fast strokes on his cock.

Prompto gasps, shuddering on top of him when Ignis feels the warmth of Prompto’s cum start to seep out onto Ignis’s fingers. Prompto fucks up into Ignis’s fist, moaning Ignis’s name over and over as he comes on top of him.

Ignis groans, lips at the back of Prompto’s neck, pressing gentle kisses as he starts to feel himself near the edge. “Good boy, that’s it, that feels so good, doesn’t it…?” Ignis purrs.

Prompto lets out a high-pitched whimper, writhing on Ignis’s lap some more. “Ngh, Iggy… come in me...”

Ignis feels Prompto start to coax an orgasm out of him the harder Prompto bounces on his cock. Ignis feels a sharp curl of pleasure. 

“Mmm,  _ Prompto--” _ Ignis gasps sharply as he feels his cock spill inside of Prompto. Prompto groans, arching his back as he lets Ignis come inside of him.

“Shit, yes, that’s so good, baby,” Prompto gasps, gripping Ignis tightly

Ignis moans as his thrusts start to slow, pushing more of his orgasm into Prompto. Ignis stops for a moment before he pulls out of Prompto, letting Prompto’s red lace panties slide back over his entrance, sealing the evidence of their play inside of Prompto. Prompto sighs pleasurably as he leans back, head falling onto Ignis’s shoulder as Ignis grabs a tissue off of his desk to start cleaning his hand of Prompto’s orgasm.

After Ignis has cleaned up, he wraps his arm around Prompto, securing him to his chest. Ignis starts kissing Prompto’s neck, moving upward until Prompto turns his head so that their mouths can meet. Their kisses are lazy and breathless; satisfied entirely.

“That was certainly a wonderful surprise, Prompto,” Ignis murmurs. “We’ll have to buy some more where these came from.” Ignis snaps the garter belt against Prompto’s thigh.

“I thought you might like it,” Prompto murmurs. “Was gonna save it for tonight after I asked you to renew our vows, but… I guess I got a little impatient.” He laughs.

“As you often do,” Ignis teases, kissing Prompto’s temple. “If you truly wanted to wait until tonight to ask me, you could have. You’re aware of this…?”

“Yeah, babe,” Prompto sighs wistfully. “I just wanted to tell you now.”

“I’m very glad that you did, darling,” Ignis whispers. “I’ve wanted to keep this marriage permanent for quite some time.”

“Yeah?” Prompto asks happily. “Me, too.” Prompto looks over at the clock. He sighs sadly this time. “Your meeting...”

Ignis joins in to sigh, tightening his grip on Prompto for just a moment. “I’m afraid so. Perhaps we can leave early, and go to dinner still?”

“That sounds perfect, Iggy,” Prompto murmurs, turning his head to kiss Ignis once more. Ignis loves how softly Prompto kisses after he’s come. “I love you.”

“I love you more than I have words for,” Ignis promises.

Ignis isn’t lying about that. He’ll never love anyone the way he loves Prompto, and for now, he’s rather glad that he doesn’t have to love anyone else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm so bittersweet this is all posted and done with now!!  
as always, my [twitter](https://twitter.com/ignisgayentia) and [tumblr](https://ignisgayentia.tumblr.com/)!


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